Arsenal are set to open formal negotiations with injured winger Bukayo Saka over a new contract, according to a report.
Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that Arsenal are set to open formal talks with Bukayo Saka over a new contract, as he prepares to enter the final two years of his current deal with the club.
Saka’s contract is set to expire in 2027, meaning he’ll enter the last two years of the deal this summer.
The club are preparing to meet with Saka’s representatives over an extension, hoping to avoid any uncertainty over his future. They’re making a new long-term contract a top priority.
Mokbel adds that the negotiation process is expected to accelerate in the “not too distant future”, with clubs across Europe watching on and an expectation that there will be no shortage of suitors if the winger leaves.
Yet Arsenal will be hopeful that they can reach an agreement, with the club’s consistent recent challenges at the top of the Premier League and regular participation in the Champions League helping their case.
Saka was a key player for Arsenal in the first half of the season, scoring nine goals and assisting 13 in just 24 appearances.
His subsequent absence through a hamstring injury has hit the team hard, though they’ve still managed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals and remain second in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta has said that Saka has a “good chance” of returning after the international break, with Arsenal facing Fulham on Tuesday, April 1st, and Everton on Saturday, April 5th.
Following those two Premier League fixtures, the Gunners will take on Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, April 8th.