Arsenal have reached a verbal agreement to extend Bukayo Saka’s contract to June 2028, with the deal expected to be confirmed by the club in the coming days. The news represents a huge boost for the Premier League leaders, with Saka’s existing contract due to expire next summer.
It has always been Saka’s intention to sign a new deal at the club he first joined in 2008 at the age of seven. The 21-year-old has been in scintillating form this season, scoring nine league goals from the right wing to fire the Gunners to the top of the table. Only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has more than Saka’s eight league assists.
Arsenal historically have a habit of losing some of their best players cheaply – Aaron Ramsey left for Juventus on a free transfer in 2019 – and so there was always a nervousness around Saka’s situation. This appears now to have dispersed.
Mikel Arteta and the club’s sporting director, Edu, are determined to secure this generation of Arsenal stars to long-term deals. Gabriel Martinelli renewed his contract until 2027 earlier this month and after securing Saka’s signature, the focus will now be on Aaron Ramsdale and William Saliba.
Only Newcastle have conceded fewer league goals than the north London side, with Ramsdale a key influence in goal. It is hoped that talks to extend his deal beyond 2025 will be relatively straightforward.
Saliba’s current deal is due to expire in 2024. The 21-year-old, signed from Saint-Étienne in 2019, has formed a formidable partnership with Gabriel Magalhães in central defence and was part of the France squad that reached the World Cup final in December.
