Stina Blackstenius becomes latest Arsenal star to sign new deal as Gunners continue to address long list of expiring contracts

Arsenal announced the news on Tuesday, just a day after quotes from Blackstenius emerged online from when she had been quizzed about her future by Swedish reporters while on international duty last week. Asked if there had been discussions about a new deal with the Gunners, Blackstenius remained coy, responding: "I’ll leave that unsaid for now."

The question was answered instead with the announcement that Blackstenius has indeed signed a new deal, albeit with the contract length undisclosed by Arsenal. The Sweden striker has been at the club since 2022, scoring 64 goals in 152 appearances for the club, including the only goal in last year's Champions League final as the Gunners stunned favourites Barcelona to win their second European crown, and first since 2007.

In years gone by, Blackstenius may have been keen to move on to a new challenge. That's because she's often struggled to get into Arsenal's starting line-up, given the presence of Alessia Russo, the Gunners' first-choice centre forward. This season, though, head coach Renee Slegers has used the pair together more often, with Russo dropping into a deeper role while Blackstenius leads the line, with the two often switching positions fluidly in order to create new problems for the opposition.

"I think they're quite different as players and that’s why they make such a good fit," Slegers said recently. "You sometimes say opposites attract. I think they are quite far away from each other. That’s what makes them such a good partnership because they want to do different things on the pitch and they give each other that space and opportunity to do those different things. So it brings a dynamic in a team that’s really good for us and they both can play the No.9 role."

It has led to Blackstenius' most prolific domestic season to date as an Arsenal player, with her eight goals and three assists from 15 Women's Super League games - just six of them starts - a career-best since her move to England. That's on top of another three goals and two assists in other competitions for the 30-year-old this term.

Blackstenius' recent comments to the Swedish press gave the indication that she was keen to stay at the club for other reasons, too. "There’s certainly a reason why I’ve been at Arsenal for four and a half years now, or however long it’s been," she explained. "That says something about what I think of the club and how I view the progress there.

"It’s a really inspiring environment to be in. I get to be part of a very high standard of play every day and I’m inspired by the people I train and play with. I’d say I feel I’m in an environment where everything is in place. I really want to keep making progress all the time, so that really motivates me."

Resolving Blackstenius' future ticks another item off Arsenal's to-do list for now, but there is still plenty to get through before the summer. Captain Kim Little has just extended her contract for another season, following a renewal for Slegers earlier this year, but there are still plenty of names who are set to depart in the next few months, with Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, Katie McCabe, Beth Mead, Caitlin Foord, Laia Codina, Victoria Pelova and Manuela Zinsberger among those reported to be out of contract.

There are also incomings to sort. It's widely understood that England midfielder Georgia Stanway will be joining Arsenal this summer, when she bids farewell to Bayern Munich after four years in Germany, with Barcelona full-back Ona Batlle also heavily linked with a move to north London. That business will also impact how the Gunners approach those contract renewals, and vice versa.