Arsenal: Dean Jones confident of Bukayo Saka contract extension

David Comerford 2 August 2022, 20:05 2 minutes read

Soccer Football - Pre Season Friendly - Arsenal v Sevilla - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - July 30, 2022 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their fourth goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport that he expects Bukayo Saka to ‘sign a new contract’ at Arsenal.

The lowdown

The 20-year-old’s current deal, which puts him towards the middle of Arsenal’s earning list at £70,000 per week, is due to expire in 2024.

Speaking to The Athletic, the club’s technical director Edu said that talks over a new deal are going well and that all parties are ‘happy’.

However, The Daily Mail reported earlier in the summer that Premier League champions Manchester City and last season’s runners-up Liverpool have both ‘earmarked the 20-year-old as a future target’.

The latest

Jones believes that Edu won’t countenance any bid for Saka and thinks that Arsenal could hold firm in the face of an offer from Liverpool, believing that the north London club should be able to tie him down to a long-term deal.

The transfer insider told GiveMeSport: “Edu particularly won’t entertain offers for Saka at the moment and doesn’t believe that even a Liverpool bid could force the club to sell at the moment, so I think he will sign a new contract.”

Will Arsenal finish in the top 4 next year?

Yes

No

The verdict

If Arsenal can secure Saka’s agreement to a new deal, it would be cause for major celebration.

The 20-year-old not only won Arsenal’s Player of the Season award last term, he was also nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season.

The Englishman was the Gunners’ top scorer in 2021/22 with 12 goals, while only Alexandre Lacazette (eight) managed more assists (via BBC Sport).

City manager Pep Guardiola named him as one of the ‘incredible’ and ‘talented’ youngsters who should be able to build ‘a bright, bright future’ for Arsenal.

Arsenal need to be wary, though. If their form in the early part of the season suggests that they won’t qualify for the Champions League, then perhaps Saka will hesitate about signing a new deal, having yet to play in the competition in his three years as a Gunners first-team regular.