There’s just one place to start out this morning and that’s the affirmation that Bukayo Saka has signed a new contract with the membership.
It runs for 4 years, tying him to Arsenal till 2027, and it’s price a reported £15m a yr. We are able to go into the small print of that a bit of bit, however at first we should always give attention to what is solely good news. Saka, at 21 years of age, has simply produced a season through which he scored 14 targets and made 11 assists. He’s the jewel of our Academy crown, and it was so necessary to safe his future.
Mikel Arteta says:
Retaining our greatest younger abilities is essential to our continued progress and Bukayo represents such an necessary a part of our squad now and for the longer term.
In addition to being a improbable expertise, Bukayo is a particular particular person, he’s beloved by us all and he’s a credit score to himself and his household for the arduous work and dedication they’ve all made to get to this degree at the moment.
Whereas Saka himself defined his causes, past the actual fact he’s an Arsenal lad who has grown up at this membership – that solely goes thus far:
For me, it’s about attaining my private ambitions; how a lot I push myself and demand from myself every recreation, week in, week out. Then I’ve all the proper individuals round me when it comes to household, and once I come to the coaching floor, my teammates, the teaching workers.
I believe I’ve every thing I must change into the most effective participant I might be, and that’s why I’m glad to remain right here and be right here for the longer term, as a result of I actually imagine that we will obtain massive issues.
Make no mistake, there isn’t a membership on this planet who wouldn’t have been taken with signing him, even when realistically there are only a few who may have attracted him within the first place. What he says about Arsenal being the proper place for him is, in some methods, a consequence of the progress we’ve made. I believe this might have been a way more troublesome renewal if we have been scrapping for the Europa League somewhat than the title for a lot of the marketing campaign.
Finally, there are shades of disappointment at how the season has ended, however one of many optimistic elements is the actual fact this looks like a staff that’s nonetheless able to extra, of higher. While you’re attempting to re-sign a participant like Bukayo Saka, that’s extremely useful. We’ve already seen the way it made renewals for Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and Aaron Ramsdale a lot easier, and hopefully that sense of positivity will allow us to make progress with the opposite gamers we wish to tie down. It’s simply simpler to persuade gamers to commit their future whenever you’re good.
As for the size of the deal – 4 years with out an choice to increase for a yr like many contracts have as of late – I don’t fear an excessive amount of about that. Saka has a really good agent, and he is aware of that after two years of this present contract, the method begins once more. Saka will solely be 23 years of age at that time, with plenty of his finest years forward of him. As I stated above, the problem of retaining him is tied on to how aggressive Arsenal are as a membership, and if we’re in place, difficult for titles and hopefully profitable trophies alongside the best way, that’s our security web.
As for his wages, a deal price a possible £15m a yr is available in simply shy of £290,000 per week if – and it is a massive if – the whole factor is paid in fundamental wage. Which in fact it received’t be. It will likely be structured with bonuses, picture rights, and extra; incentives that are half and parcel of each participant’s contract. I’ll say this, if Bukayo Saka takes residence £290,000 each week, we’ll all be very glad due to what he and the staff are producing.
The opposite factor to take into consideration is that not solely is Saka certainly one of Arsenal’s finest gamers, he’s certainly one of England’s finest gamers too, so there’s a component of benchmarking his wage in opposition to what a few of his nationwide staff colleagues are incomes. That doesn’t imply now we have to match the depths of Man Metropolis’s limitless pockets, or the stupidity of Man Utd or Chelsea’s wage invoice in relation to sure gamers, however he had each proper, after what he has produced and the consistency with which he’s completed it, to search for one thing in the identical ballpark.
I don’t actually perceive individuals who make parallels between this and the offers for Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Saka is 21 along with his complete profession forward of him, these guys have been of their late 20s/early 30s, and heading into the winter of their very own enjoying careers. There are important variations in motivation whenever you’re youthful, so I don’t have any worries that this may influence his efficiency ranges.
What I’d say is that whereas I’ve talked about his consistency and availability, as outlined by the actual fact he’s set to play in each recreation for the second successive season, I do suppose we have to discover a technique to handle his minutes higher throughout subsequent season’s dual-challenges of Premier and Champions League.
Ought to he characteristic in opposition to Wolves, Bukayo Saka will change into the primary participant to not miss a single recreation in back-to-back league campaigns for #Arsenal since David Seaman (1990-91 & 1991-92) and the primary outfield participant to take action for the membership since Lee Dixon (1989-90 & 1990-91).
— Harvey Downes (@HarveyDownes92) May 23, 2023
He has the second most outfield minutes for us this season (behind Gabriel), and this era on the finish of the marketing campaign the place has gone 5 video games and not using a purpose contribution is the longest since a 3 recreation run again on the very begin of August. It does counsel that he, like some others and the staff as a complete, ran out of steam a bit of bit, however that brings us to the necessity for depth we’ve spoken about as key for the summer time forward. A real various to assist reduce the burden on him subsequent trip looks as if an necessary a part of our recruitment technique. We all know Arteta needs one other winger, so let’s hope we get that completed.
Anyway, it’s nice information. He’s a improbable participant, and by all accounts an excellent particular person too. I can’t advocate this long-read on the official site extremely sufficient – providing you with nice perception into his progress at Arsenal from the time he arrived to now. Effectively price your time.
Proper, let’s go away it there for this morning. Extra right here tomorrow.
