The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has revealed that Arsenal have activated the option to extend the contract of William Saliba until June 2024.

The Lowdown: Contract talks

It has been reported that the Gunners are in talks with Saliba over a new contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The France international is is thought to be earning just £40,000-per-week and is one of the lowest-paid players in the squad, despite him being a Mikel Arteta this season.

The Latest: Extension activated

Taking to Twitter on Friday night, Ornstein revealed that the North London club have activated an option to extend Saliba's contract until 2024, with talks continuing over a fresh new deal:

"Arsenal have activated option to extend William Saliba contract until June 2024. Existing terms were due to end June 2023 & deadline to trigger extra 12 months was Dec 31. Arsenal did so in recent days. Talks continue over fresh deal."

The Verdict: Significant update

The fact that Arsenal have extended Saliba's deal by another year is significant in terms of their hopes of tying him down to a new long-term contract.

The 21-year-old has been a standout player in the Gunners' title charge, ranking highly among his team-mates for average tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game in the Premier League, even chipping in with two goals and one assist from centre-back (WhoScored).

Given his relatively low wages compared to the rest of the squad, Saliba is thoroughly deserving of an improved deal, and the North Londoners will want to make sure that they can tie him down for the long haul as soon as possible, amid reported interest from PSG.