“Agreement reached”:Major Arsenal contract breakthrough as Edu reaches ‘agreement in principle’ with influential ace
Arsenal have been handed a significant boost amid claims technical director Edu has reached an agreement with Bukayo Saka over a new contract.
Saka has been one of Arsenal’s top performers over the last few seasons. And the fact he came through the club’s academy has made him a big hit among supporters
Last season, the winger notched 11 goals and seven assists while appearing in all 38 of Arsenal’s Premier League matches.
He opened his account for the new campaign by scoring in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United on September 4. That remains Saka’s only goal this term though, in what has been a relatively slow start for him.
Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta is confident the Englishman’s form will pick up and he will start to make a big impact once again.
Arsenal currently sit top of the table and their start is among the top 10 best starts to a Premier League campaign.
Now the summer transfer window is long gone, the main focus for Arteta and Edu is on new contracts.
Arsenal have several top players who need rewarding with new deals. They include Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka.
All of their current contracts expire in summer 2024. So to prevent those stars from leaving on the cheap at the end of the season, Arsenal must organise fresh terms.
The Daily Mail provided an update on Saka’s situation on Monday. They claimed Arsenal had sent a contract offer to the 21-year-old, and the Gunners had ‘confidence’ he would accept.
It is Edu’s ‘priority’ to tie Saka down to a new deal and due to this he offered the player almost £200,000 a week. This represents a significant pay increase as Saka currently takes home £70,000 per week.
Agreement reached on Bukayo Saka new contract
Football Insider now reveal the wide man has received Arsenal’s offer and has come to an ‘agreement in principle’ with the club. This means he is ready to put pen to paper on a new five-year deal at the Emirates.
The report doesn’t reveal when the contract signing will take place. But now an initial agreement is there, it is likely to occur at some point over the coming weeks.
Saka’s impressive performances and contract situation have put some of Arsenal’s rivals on alert. Manchester City and Liverpool are reportedly keeping tabs on the situation and will swoop if Saka becomes available.
This would badly weaken Arteta’s attacking options and would also make fans furious. This is another reason why Edu has moved so quickly to get Saka to pledge his long-term future to Arsenal.
Saka could consider a club like City or Liverpool as they would be a slight step up in his career. However, he clearly feels like Arsenal are going in the right direction and that he can meet his ambitions there.
One of these is to play in the Champions League. And with Arsenal top of the Prem right now, there is a great chance they will finish in the top four.
In addition, Saka loves Arsenal for all they have done in his career. He was nurtured as a teenager there and became an England international thanks to Arteta giving him opportunities.
His fairytale with the Gunners now looks set to continue for the next few years, which will force City and Liverpool to pursue other wingers.
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has revealed he is a big fan of one of Saka’s Arsenal team-mates, setting up a potential Liverpool raid.
