Arsenal Fend Off ‘Biggest Clubs in Europe’ to Finalise Bukayo Saka Contract

Performances rather than output have been rewarded with improved, extended terms.

Bukayo Saka came through Arsenal’s Hale End academy. / Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images

Bukayo Saka has reportedly agreed a new five-year contract at Arsenal on an improved salary to keep him firmly off the radar of Europe’s elite.

The Hale End academy graduate entered the final 18 months of his existing deal at the start of January, yet there was never any outward concern from Mikel Arteta that Saka would be tempted away from north London.

In November, the Arsenal boss was asked why he seemed so relaxed about the situation. “I prefer that word, I think it is confidence,” he told assembled media. “What Bukayo has transmitted to me and the club, and Emeka [Obasi, Saka’s agent] as well, is that they want to continue to be here.

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“It’s a very healthy and powerful relationship. The journey that he has had at the club and what he has become is something we want to maintain. That is something that is going to leave a legacy at this club and he needs to fulfil that role.”

That legacy is set to be written until the summer of 2031, which The Athletic revealed to be the expiration date of Saka’s new contract. The exact figures of the 24-year-old’s improved deal are not given, with the report only detailing that his wage will “recognise his standing” in the game.

Bukayo Saka and his teammates are building a winning mentality at the Emirates Stadium. / HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP/Getty Images

The same report states that Saka boasts a lofty reputation, with the forward “wanted by the biggest clubs in world football” should he ever become attainable. Unfortunately for those unnamed admirers, the prospect of Saka ever leaving the club he first joined aged seven will not materialise.

Arsenal have overseen a flurry extensions in recent months. Saka’s fellow academy graduates Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri were both tied down to 2030 while new deals were also agreed for the talismanic centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães in the last seven months.

Jurriën Timber is thought to be next in line for a renewal after enjoying a superb individual campaign. Despite his new terms, Saka hasn’t quite been at his peak as of late.

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Saka Rewarded for Performances Rather Than Output

Bukayo Saka hasn’t always been at his best. / Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images

When Saka teed up Arsenal’s first two goals of a 5–2 drubbing at West Ham United’s London Stadium on Nov. 30, 2024, he took his tally for the season to 10 Premier League assists. While excited talk of breaking Thierry Henry’s all-time record for a single season filled the air, the fates had other ideas. Saka would not register another top-flight assist until Arsenal’s 1–1 draw with Chelsea on Nov. 30, 2025, exactly one year later.

Arsenal’s regular penalty taker boasts just three goals from open play and as many top-flight assists this season. Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson, who is by no means a regular for the U.S. men’s national team, can point to a superior record in the Premier League.

This underwhelming output jars with the perception of Saka as one of the world’s best wingers, an opinion shared by many onlookers and, based upon the description of his new salary, Arsenal themselves.

Rather than being blinded by any affection for Saka’s off-field persona, this prevailing opinion is the consequence of all his good work which goes unrewarded.

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Saka Among Premier League’s Best for Combined Expected Goals and Assists

Player	Club	xG+xA per 90
1. Erling Haaland	Man City	0.94
2. Jérémy Doku	Man City	0.67
3. Enzo Fernández	Chelsea	0.63
4. Bukayo Saka	Arsenal	0.60
5. Hugo Ekitiké	Liverpool	0.58

Stats via FBref. Minimum of 1,000 minutes played, correct as of Jan. 9, 2026.

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Saka’s display against Liverpool on Thursday night was a great example of his recent frustrations. The 24-year-old left Milos Kerkez with twisted blood through the first half, repeatedly tip-toeing around the befuddled fullback before sending the ball into a penalty box stuffed with red shirts. Yet, on each occasion Saka’s industry was met with profligacy.

Looking at the quality and quantity of shots which Arsenal’s No. 7 has taken and created—rather than seen converted—offers an insight into the impact he offers. Among this season’s Premier League regulars, only Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández and the Manchester City pairing of Erling Haaland and Jérémy Doku have been more regularly responsible for threatening moments than Saka.

A first prolonged spell in the treatment room has coincided with this perceived dip in form, yet there is reason to hope for more to come.

Try as they might, his teammates will not continue to squander the opportunities which he carves open—Saka already boasts two assists in four appearances since Christmas Day. The presence of Noni Madueke should help Arteta avoid overloading his cherished young star and keep those nagging fitness concerns at bay while also offering an added sense of competition to keep the senses sharp.

If Saka is to build a legacy in north London over the coming years, it will not be defined by one fallow year. Some silverware would be far more influential.

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