Arsenal set for another huge summer window boost

Pre-season is underway and in a few short days Arsenal will be back on our screens for the first of their warm-up matches ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. One month into the window, however, and the squad is as it was.

Players are closing in on moves to Arsenal with Albert Sambi Lokonga undergoing his medical, while Nuno Tavares has traveled to London and Ben White waiting to complete his European Championship adventure with England.

New signings don’t always have to be from afar though. Technically yes, but internally there can be huge strides taken that feel almost like new additions. Not like when players return from long-term injury and they’re deemed ‘like new signings’ though, that’s just silly.

In regards to youth players out of contract who are committing their futures however, that feeling is different.

Arsenal set for another huge summer window boost with Kido Taylor-Hart to sign a new long-term contract to fend off transfer speculation

Already this year Folarin Balogun has signed a new long-term contract and given he’s barely featured for the first team yet, it’s exciting to see what else will come.

More positive news came in the form of Arthur Okonkwo, who while yet to officially sign, is now expected to which will bring an end to the uncertainty with his previous deal ending on June 30. The highly rated goalkeeper is a vital addition due to Alex Runarsson’s imminent departure and more importantly to his long-term prospects of being the Arsenal number one.

Another one of the academy stars who has caught the eye over the past 12 months is Kido Taylor-Hart, an 18-year-old winger who notched 11 goals and five assists across the U18 Premier League and Premier League 2 last season.

Shining in the U18 league, he was moved up into the Under-23 group where he scored four goals in 13 matches for Steve Bould’s struggling side, including the vital equaliser on the final day of the season to spare the Gunners of relegation.

As first reported by Chris Wheatley, Taylor-Hart, who is a lifelong Gooner and has been at the club sine the age of seven, will sign a long-term contract after lengthy talks dating back to March. There was huge interest in the ‘wonderkid’ from the Premier League and across Europe, so his signing will go down as another success story on the club’s growing list of promising young academy stars.

With Gabriel Martinelli away with Brazil during pre-season and Bukayo Saka set for an extended break, Taylor-Hart will get his chance as Arsenal travel to Scotland and Florida this summer.

There is great comfort to take from Arsenal’s ability to keep and extend Balogun, Taylor-Hart, Okonkwo, Martinelli, Saka, Kieran Tierney and, it’s hoped (expected) Emile Smith Rowe. While not all are first team regulars and part of the growing core, the belief is that they can be further down the line.

Another important step by the club. A few actual signings would supplement this brilliantly.