The 17-year-old defender has made four first-team appearances for Mikel Arteta's side. Yong Teck Lim/Getty ImagesAug. 29, 2026 4:00 am EDT Updated Marli Salmon has signed a professional contract with Arsenal upon celebrating his 17th birthday.The defender, who can play either as a centre-back or at right-back, is one of Arsenal’s highest-rated prospects and made his debut last season against Club Brugge in the Champions League and made three further appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side in the FA Cup.“A lot of hard work that went into this, a lot of ups and downs, but I’m so proud,” Salmon said upon signing his deal.
“It’s always a good experience to be around [the first team]. You learn so much, not even just on the pitch, but off the pitch, about how they prepare and how they carry themselves. It’s valuable, I’m so grateful for who I’ve got here. You get to learn and see them in person, you see so much detail, it’s very good.“I’m looking forward to attacking the season. I gave myself a good start, so let’s see what it holds.”Last season Salmon’s FA Cup start away to Mansfield Town in the fourth round, alongside Max Dowman, made Arsenal the first Premier League side to start a competitive match with two players aged 16 or under in any competition.
