Arsenal have reportedly decided to start contract talks with a number of first-team players before Christmas in order to avoid the uncertainty over their futures.
According to The Telegraph, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck and Nacho Monreal are all contracted until the summer of 2019, and the Gunners intend to be proactive by tying their top players to fresh deals.
The summer transfer window brought plenty of uncertainty in the Gunners squad with Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all having entered the final years of their contracts. While Arsenal were successful in keeping hold of most of their players, they had to sacrifice Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool in order to reduce their financial loss.
Further talks are expected to be held with both Sanchez and Ozil later this season, but The Telegraph has suggested that it is highly unlikely that they will extend their deals beyond next summer. Arsenal have so often lost players entering the final year of their contracts and keeping the star duo could be considered as a fundamental success, although they could leave the Emirates in 10 months' time.
The north London club signed just two players in Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac during the recently concluded transfer window, and the fans will surely be disappointed as the club's hierarchy had backed Arsene Wenger with a sizeable kitty to spend.
Aaron Ramsey recently expressed his discontent at the departure of Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the Gunners will now hope to negotiate a fresh contract with the Welshman, who alongside Petr Cech and Nacho Monreal remain crucial to the Gunners' chances of finishing in the top-four.
Wenger saw his side finish outside of the Champions League places for the first time under his management last term, and he will be desperate to avoid a similar instance during the ongoing campaign.
