In stark contrast to the last international break, there was a real feel-good atmosphere all around arsenal at the moment.

After the disastrous defeat at Anfield, the Gunners did not enter a long rest period, but remained firmly at the top of the standings. Premier League Liverpool took all three points thanks to last-minute winners against West Ham United and Chelsea in the regular season.

Additionally, there are now rumors that Emirates’ capacity will be expanded in the near future, and there’s more good news, David Raya His salary increase reportedly reflects his importance to the team.

The Spaniard fully deserves his new term, but he’s not the only player Mikel Arteta A team that should get a new contract.

Why Eid is worth a pay rise

Interestingly, while reports of Raya’s new payment terms have mentioned the inclusion of optional years in his contract, it is clear that this new deal does not actually add to the Spaniard’s standard number of years at the club.

This may sound rather strange to some, and there is certainly an argument to be made for this, but there are several reasons why this pay increase makes sense.

Firstly, unlike when the former Brentford ace first signed, when there were doubts as to who would be the club’s starting goalkeeper between him and Aaron Ramsdale, he is now clearly one of the first names on the team-sheet.

It is therefore right that his wages reflect his true importance to the team. On £100,000 a week, he Prior to these new terms, he earned less than 14 other players, including Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke.

Secondly, in addition to starting most of the team’s games, the 30-year-old is undoubtedly one of the best players in the Premier League (and even the European League).

For example, he has won the league’s Golden Glove award in each of the past two seasons and, according to FBref, ranks in the top 4% of goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues for cross-stop percentage, top 7% for clean sheet rate, top 8% for save percentage, etc. (all numbers are 90).

In the end, from a purely social perspective, it makes him happy and shows other players that consistent results will be rewarded, which in turn helps create a better atmosphere.

Having said that, there is another player on the team who deserves the same treatment.

Arsenal stars deserve pay rise like Raya

The good thing for Arteta and Arsenal is that not many players can claim they are underpaid at the moment in the squad after agreeing a raft of new deals in the summer.

However, one international player can make the argument that he deserves at least a pay rise, if not a new contract: julien lumber co..

Yes, the former Ajax gem, who joins the club in the summer of 2023 for around £38m, is probably the player most deserving of new terms at the moment, and according to reports this month, he appears to be getting one soon.

As a right-back, he’s not as prone to bombing forward as Trent Alexander-Arnold or Jermaine Frimpong, meaning the Dutchman doesn’t always get the recognition he deserves from the wider football community.

But the 24-year-old has missed almost all of 2023/24 since recovering from an ACL injury, and his performances this season have made him increasingly difficult to ignore.

Like Declan Rice in midfield and Bukayo Saka on the wings, the fearsome defender rarely, if ever, performs worse than 7/10, and often better than that.

In the words of Arsenal podcaster Adam Keys, he’s like a He is known as the “Dementor of Wingers” due to his excellent anticipation, football IQ and astonishing physical attributes. However, this season in particular has also seen his attacking performances improve, with his performance against Newcastle United arguably his best offensive performance since joining the club.

Unsurprisingly, the Utrecht-born giant’s underlying numbers this season not only back up the eye test, but prove that he reaches a level that few other full-backs can.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of Premier League full-backs for actual and expected non-penalty goals, shot chances created, progressive passes and tackles; in the top 7% for overall shot and pass success rate; and in the top 11% for touches in the opposition penalty area (90 in all stats).

Ultimately, all things considered, it’s hard to disagree with the respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims that wood is “One of the best signings of the Emirates era.”

Therefore, like Raya, he deserves a raise as soon as possible, or better yet, a new contract.