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Arsenal finished fifth in the 2021-22 Premier League. Manager Mikel Arteta missed out on the UEFA Champions League but secured UEFA Europa League football for the first time since taking charge at the Emirates in 2019. The Gunners finished two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Meanwhile, Eddie Nketiah is set to sign a new contract with the Gunners. Elsewhere, Mohamed Elneny has extended his stay in north London. On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 26 May 2022:
Eddie Nketiah set to sign new contract with Arsenal
Eddie Nketiah is close to signing a new contract with Arsenal, according to The Hard Tackle via The Athletic. The English striker was all set to become a free agent this summer, having rejected two previous contract renewal offers. However, he is now ready to consider the latest proposal placed on the table.
Nketiah ended the season in fine form, scoring five goals in his last seven league games, justifying the club's intentions of keeping him. He is now all set to put pen to paper on a five-year deal. However, his decision to stay will not impact the north London side's plans to sign a new striker this summer.
Mohamed Elneny extends stay at Emirates
Mohamed Elneny has penned a new contract with the Gunners, as confirmed by both player and club. The Egyptian's previous contract was due to expire next month. The duration of his stay has not been mentioned, though.
Speaking after extending his stay, Elneny expressed a desire to end his career at the Emirates.
"I feel like when you play in one of the biggest teams in the world, and you have an amazing family and the fans are really amazing as well - they make me feel special. You feel like you are special for this club, and this club is special for you. Of course, I want to stay here until I finish my career actually," said Elneny.
He continued:
"When I speak to my family, I always say: 'Arsenal deserve to be at the top, always'. This is what’s always, always in my head. I need to put Arsenal at the highest point, because this is what we deserve."
Noel Whelan heaps praise on Mikel Arteta
Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has heaped praise on Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard has overseen a steady rise in his tenure, taking the Gunners to the UEFA Europa League.
Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said that Gunners fans should be proud of their manager.
“I do believe that Arteta is still ahead of schedule in terms of going for that return to the Champions League. You’ve got to give him great credit, as well as the backroom staff who worked with these youngsters and brought in these signings. White and Gabriel have been masterstrokes. They’ve got the balance almost spot on – it’s just a lack of firepower which let them down," said Whelan.
He continued:
"The fans have a lot to be proud of in their team and their manager. I don’t think anyone expected Arsenal to get into that top four at the start of the season, so to be disappointed about missing out just shows how far they’ve come. Their attractive style of play and identity is back to where it was when you used to love watching Arsenal. Arteta has brought the era of your Henry’s and your Bergkamp’s back – and that’s huge for the club.”
With an average age of 24.4 years, the Gunners had the youngest squad in the 2021-22 Premier League.
