Negotiations between Arsenal and Bukayo Saka over an improved contract are “pretty far down the line” and Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail expects an announcement to be made in the “not-too-distant future”.
The 18-year-old’s current contract is due to expire in June 2021 (as per Transfermarkt.co.uk) and given how frequently he has featured for the Gunners this season, we can assume he is part of their plans for the future and that they won’t wish to lose him for free next summer.
Despite his young age, he has made 32 appearances for the first team this season, playing in a variety of positions including left-back, left-wing, attacking midfield and on the right-wing (as per Transfermarkt.co.uk).
He’s provided his teammates with an impressive ten assists and chipped in with three goals. Saka’s average performance rating in the Premier League this season currently stands at 6.65/10 which is respectable when you consider his age and the fact he has been asked to play in a variety of different roles.
When asked about the ongoing contract negotiations and the relationship he shares with Mikel Arteta, Sami Mokbel told the Touchline Fracas Podcast: “Those negotiations are pretty far down the line, the thing is with that deal is that Saka knows he’s going to play, he will have regular minutes under Arteta. Arteta obviously likes him and obviously rates him so he will play him, he will nurture him in the best possible way. That isn’t necessarily going to be the case if he moves to another top-six side.
“I think he is best placed to stay and continue his development under Arteta. Arteta went on record earlier last week, to say that he expected it to be done so when a manager comes out and says that I think it’s pretty far down the line and I expect that to be confirmed in the not-too-distant future.”
Are you confident an agreement with Bukayo Saka will be announced soon?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts…
The news that an agreement is very close to being reached, we believe, will be well received by the fanbase. The Gunners secured their first victory since the restart at Southampton on Thursday evening, a game in which Saka played the entire 90 minutes and earned a performance rating of 6.86/10 (via WhoScored.com).