Arsenal have put a new contract offer to Bukayo Saka, according to reports. This comes after talk that Liverpool want the player.
This comes from the Daily Mail. They claim that Arsenal have offered to double Bukayo Saka’s wages in a new contract. Those wages currently sit at around £70k per week and this would apparently make the 20-year-old their highest-paid player.
Arsenal are in a rush to strike this deal, too. Saka’s contract currently expires in 2023 and while the Gunners have an option to extend it for an extra year, it’s not their ideal option. It would only happen if the winger has steadfastly refused to sign a new deal, after all, and they’d almost certainly need to sell him next summer anyway.
And so with that in mind comes the key part of the Mail’s report – it’s unclear whether Saka will accept this. Other teams are interested in his signature and that drives up his potential earnings, at the very least.
Bukayo Saka gets contract offer
The Mail themselves wrote back in June that Liverpool do want Saka. They see him as a top signing, potentially, and his contract situation could dramatically lower his price – if not this summer then in 2023.
It’s pressure from Liverpool and Manchester City that drives Arsenal’s big contract offer. Both clubs can offer Saka similar money, for one thing, but also a consistent Champions League spot. That’s been said to be one of Saka’s own motivations for a long time now.
Arsenal can’t quite give him that, though they’ll hope that this coming season shows their potential in that regard. It’s also why we wouldn’t be surprised if Saka waits to give a definite answer to the Gunners. Their form in the early season could play a big part in convincing him to stay – or look for a big move away.
It’s certainly one we’d welcome.