Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League table and have a flawless record in the Champions League and there is plenty going on behind the scenes in North London
Arsenal are heading into the international break on a high, having climbed to the pinnacle of the Premier League table.
The Gunners have capitalised on Liverpool’s recent stumbles with consecutive victories over Newcastle and West Ham. They’re also boasting a flawless record in the Champions League and have made it through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
With reigning champions Liverpool struggling to recapture their form last season, Mikel Arteta’s players will be aiming to widen their lead when they jump back into Premier League action against Fulham on October 18, before the Merseysiders host their bitter rivals Manchester United the following day in a tough encounter.
Here’s all the latest key updates from the Gunners’ camp, including a hush-hush pay rise and plans to reclaim the Emirates as London’s largest stadium.
David Raya’s secret deal revealed
A juicy new contract for David Raya, inked during the summer, has just surfaced.
While the duration of the deal remains the same, he was handed a hefty pay boost in the off-season as a pat on the back for a couple of standout seasons at the Emirates, reports the Mirror.
He initially joined from Brentford on a season-long loan in 2023 before outshining the now-departed Aaron Ramsdale to claim the number one spot and cement his move.
There’s been no official word from the club, nor is there likely to be, given that the length of his original contract hasn’t changed.
Gunners set sights on Wembley
Arsenal could be heading for a stint at Wembley if their ambitious plans to expand the Emirates Stadium get the green light.
The demand for tickets is currently outpacing supply, with a whopping 100,000 fans on the season ticket waiting list.
The Gunners’ current home can pack in 60,700 supporters, making it the fifth-largest club ground in the country and the third-largest in London, trailing behind Tottenham and West Ham’s slightly roomier stadiums.
If Arsenal’s blueprint comes to fruition, the capacity would swell to around 70,000, catapulting it to the second-biggest ground in the country, only surpassed by Manchester United’s Old Trafford.
However, due to railway lines flanking the stadium, expanding outwards isn’t feasible. Instead, the club is eyeing up steepening the stands to squeeze in thousands of extra seats.
This intricate project, which could set the Gunners back around £500million, would necessitate a temporary relocation, with Wembley being touted as a potential interim base.
Exit strategy
Summer signing Christian Norgaard has already mapped out his exit strategy despite just joining the Gunners.
The Danish midfielder was brought in from Brentford over the summer as a direct replacement for Thomas Partey on a two-year contract.
But the 31-year-old has only donned the Arsenal shirt once so far, against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup, and hasn’t yet made his Premier League debut.
Norgaard has separately shared his long-term career plans, which don’t involve the Gunners. In an interview with Danish publication Bold, he said: “Whether it will be two or three years at Arsenal has not been decided, but we will return to Denmark when the contract expires.
“I can guarantee that Arsenal will be my last club abroad. I still want to return to Brondby when my contract with Arsenal expires.”
Norgaard has strong links with the Danish side, having played over 100 games for them between 2013 and 2018 before joining Fiorentina and later Brentford.
#Arsenal #news #Mikel #Arteta #outcast #admits #exit #plan #secret #agreement #reached
