Arteta responds to Saka and Ramsdale new Arsenal contract reports

Mikel Arteta has responded to rumours that Arsenal are about to hand Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka new contracts.

The Spaniard was unwilling to disclose how far contract extension talks have gone between the club and the players but instead chose to praise the goalkeeper.

"At the moment there is nothing to announce," said Arteta about Ramsdale. "We will do that as a club, as we always do. This is not the time to talk about it.

"We are very happy with him, the way he's developed and the way he's performed, and the trajectory that he is at in the last few seasons, is remarkable. We are really happy with him, and he's very important for us."

Ramsdale has hugely impressed since he made a £30 million move to Arsenal from Sheffield United two years ago.

Declan Rice has been massively linked with the Gunners, and reports indicate West Ham United are willing to let the midfielder leave if the club gets £120 million.

Arteta remained cagey when asked whether Arsenal are ready to break their transfer record and bring Rice on board. The £72 million deal to sign Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019 remains the biggest transfer move Arsenal have completed.

"We are playing to win the title, and we want to be fully focused on that. All those things are distractions, and we don't want to be anywhere near that," said the Spaniard.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could see the return of Oleksandr Zinchenko from injury before the end of the season. William Saliba, on the other hand, is unlikely to play the next two games.

The Gunners face Brighton on Sunday with a win enough to take them top of the table momentarily.