Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla Sign New Arsenal Contracts

Arsenal midfield duo Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla say the club's new direction was crucial to them penning new deals at the Emirates Stadium.

The pair, as well as youngster Gedion Zelalem who has never made a professional appearance for the Gunners, have become the latest players to extend their stay in north London after Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky committed their future to the club earlier this month.

Ramsey, who has been out since December with a thigh injury, was crucial to Arsenal's impressive start to the season while Cazorla, who joined the club in 2012 from Malaga has scored four goals in 23 league appearances this term.

"We are very pleased that Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Gedion Zelalem have committed their futures to the club," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.

"Cazorla and Ramsey are absolutely key players for us, and this news is a boost to the whole club. Gedion is very young of course, but he has shown already that he has fantastic promise, and we all look forward to his development with us."

Welshman Ramsey has reportedly become the club's second highest paid player after agreeing a deal worth £90,000 after he netted eight goals in his first 18 league games of the season.

"I'm delighted to have signed a new contract," the 23 year old added. "I've been here for six years and I'm so happy.

"I think we've shown so far this season what we're all about and the direction that this club wants to go in. I want to be a part of that, and to be a part of something special at Arsenal. We have a great team which we believe can achieve great things."

Amid injury to Ramsey and Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil's loss of form, Cazorla has been a mainstay in the Arsenal midfield and will stay at the club until the latter years of his career.

"I'm so happy to have signed a new contract with Arsenal," he said. "This club makes me very happy - the manager, my team-mates, the fantastic supporters, the stadium and the whole organisation here.

"I have had a great time with the Club since joining nearly two years ago, and I think that we can be a big player in competing for the top trophies in years to come and that's important for me. I have already had lots of good moments here and hopefully there will be many more to come."

Despite being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich last week, Arsenal remain in contention to claim the Premier League and FA Cup double this season and end the club's wait for a major trophy which stretches back until to 2005.

With a host of Arsenal players committing themselves to the club, speculation is only likely to increase over the future of right back Bacary Sagna and manager Wenger, both of whom are out of contract at the end of the current campaign.