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Arsenal are stepping up efforts to secure the long-term futures of several key players, with Declan Rice reportedly close to agreeing a new contract after manager Mikel Arteta committed his future to the club.
The Gunners have already secured a major piece of their long-term project after Arteta signed a new four-year contract that will keep him at the Emirates Stadium until June 2030. The agreement was officially announced on October 7, 2026, following Arsenal’s historic Premier League title success last season.
Attention has now turned to the playing squad, with Rice, Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber among the players whose futures Arsenal are looking to secure.
Declan Rice Close to New Arsenal Contract
Rice is reportedly the closest of the trio to agreeing fresh terms.
According to BBC Sport reports published on October 7, negotiations between Arsenal and the England international have reached an advanced stage. Rice’s current contract is understood to run until the end of next season, while discussions over an extension have been ongoing since earlier this year.
The 27-year-old joined Arsenal from West Ham United in July 2023 in a deal worth £105 million and has since established himself as one of the most important players in Arteta’s team.
Rice has made 165 appearances for Arsenal and played an important role in the club’s Premier League title triumph last season, which ended a 22-year wait for the championship.
His proposed new agreement is also expected to come with a significant salary increase. Rice currently earns a reported £240,000 per week, but a new deal could take his wages to around £350,000 per week — putting him in the same financial bracket as Arsenal’s highest-paid player, Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal have not yet officially announced a new contract for Rice, meaning the final terms and length of the proposed agreement remain subject to confirmation.
Ødegaard and Timber Also in Arsenal’s Plans
Rice is not the only important player Arsenal are looking to tie down.
Club captain Martin Ødegaard and defender Jurrien Timber are also understood to be part of the club’s wider contract plans.
Both players are considered important components of Arteta’s squad, and reports indicate that Arsenal have been working on improved terms for their key players following the manager’s own renewal.
Ødegaard has established himself as Arsenal’s captain and remains a central figure in the club’s midfield. His existing agreement runs into 2028, according to available contract data, making an extension a way for Arsenal to secure his future well beyond the current deal.
Timber, meanwhile, has become increasingly important to Arteta’s defensive plans. The Netherlands international has shown his versatility by operating in different defensive positions and was part of Arsenal’s squad during their successful 2025/26 Premier League campaign. Arsenal’s own reports have regularly shown Timber featuring alongside Rice and Ødegaard in the first-team setup.
Arsenal Looking to Protect Their Title-Winning Core
The contract strategy reflects Arsenal’s desire to maintain continuity after finally winning the Premier League title in the 2025/26 season.
Arteta’s new deal is the clearest indication that the club intends to continue with the project that has taken Arsenal from title challengers to Premier League champions.
Securing Rice would be another major step. The midfielder has become a key part of Arsenal’s midfield since arriving from West Ham, while Ødegaard remains the captain and Timber has developed into a valuable defensive option.
Reports earlier in September indicated that Arsenal were preparing negotiations with all three players, with the club confident that the players were settled in north London and interested in remaining part of the project.
If Arsenal can complete the Rice agreement and subsequently make progress with Ødegaard and Timber, the club would have secured several important members of the squad responsible for their recent success.
For now, however, Rice’s new contract remains unconfirmed, with negotiations reportedly at an advanced stage.
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