Arsenal hand first professional deal to exciting defender after breakthrough

Arsenal have confirmed that highly-rated academy defender Marli Salmon has signed his first professional contract with the club on his 17th birthday.Salmon had already agreed a pre-contract with Arsenal in April, with the agreement allowing him to formally turn professional once he reached the required age.The defender has now put pen to paper after an impressive seven-year journey through Hale End that has already taken him into Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s first-team plans.“It me