Ian Wright namedrops player Arsenal need to sign in order to convince players like Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to stay at club

Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes his former team have to bring in the right players this year to ensure players like William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Magalhaes stay at the Emirates. All three players will enter the final year of their contract next year and are yet to sign an extension.

Speaking on the Wrighty's House podcast, Wright cited the example of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Virgil van Dijk's expiring contracts with Liverpool to warn the Gunners.

“Whatever reason why Liverpool took their eye off the ball and got these three guys in the situation where they’re in the last years of their contract. If Arsenal are watching that happen and we end up in the same place, which let’s face it, right?" said Wright.

The legendary English forward named Jamal Musiala as the kind of signing that could convince Saka, Saliba, and Gabriel to sign extensions at the Emirates.

"I don’t know if he’ll come, I don’t know where he’s going, because obviously him and Jude are big mates or whatever. But see someone like Musiala, that is the kind of player that when Saka, Gabriel or Saliba’s here, Musiala, that’s who we’re linked with, those are the players that make people like them man take notice," said Wright.

He concluded:

"Those are the players. Because I think that what’s happening now, we can see it with the fans, they’ve got no patience with what’s going on at Arsenal at the moment because of last season, the season before and the progression. So you saw it at the start of the season, we lose a couple of games, we draw a couple of games, everybody, everybody’s like, oh it’s over.”

Jamal Musiala's contract with Bayern Munich expires in 2026 and he hasn't signed a new deal yet.

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Who is Arsenal's record signing?

Jamal Musiala

Arsenal paid West Ham United £105m for Declan Rice in 2023, and the Englishman is the club's record signing. Rice has been a hit with the Gunners so far, registering nine goals and 15 assists from 77 games across competitions.

The second on the list is Nicolas Pepe, who arrived at the Emirates from Lille for a reported fee of £72m. However, the Ivorian forward turned out to be a disappointment, managing just 27 goals and 21 assists from 112 games across competitions. Arsenal sold Pepe to Turkish club Trabzonspor in the summer of 2023, and he currently plies his trade with Villarreal.