Bukayo Saka: Arsenal winger signs new long-term contract with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners amid stellar season | Football News

Bukayo Saka has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.

Sky Sports News understands the winger’s new contract is a four-year deal until the summer of 2027.

Saka’s previous contract was due to expire at the end of next season, with the new deal a major boost to Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta.

The 21-year-old has been one of Arsenal’s standout players in the last two seasons, while also establishing himself as a key player for Gareth Southgate’s England team since the European Championships in 2021.

Saka has scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists in all competitions for Arsenal this season, while he was also the club’s top scorer last term with 11.

Saka’s excellent season for Arsenal also saw him nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards, while Saka also joins Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel Martinelli in committing their futures to the north London club.

More to follow.

Analysis: Saka deal big news for Arsenal – but winger needs competition

Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:

Long gone are the days when Arsenal would sell their best players.

Saka’s new deal – alongside Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel Martinelli committing their futures to the club – represents the Gunners learning from the era when Manchester City and Barcelona used to poach their premium talent.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the Premier League title to City, Arsenal’s campaign has shown that the red half of London is a top place for young players like Saka to develop. With Martin Odegaard and William Saliba rumoured to be next on the new contract agenda, Arsenal have some of the Premier League’s brightest sparks and are making them theirs for the long haul.

But Arsenal’s next task regarding Saka is to give him more competition. Mikel Arteta’s next-best option on the right flank is Reiss Nelson, who has only been used for two hours of league football since mid-November.

Arsenal’s right-wing reliance on Saka has seen him start every Premier League game for Arsenal bar two in the last two seasons – and it has led to some fatigue in the previous two run-ins.

Saka failed to register a goal or assist in the final 10 games of last season, while he has failed to make a goal contribution in seven out of his last eight league games this term.

The barren run includes a missed penalty against West Ham last month, which Arteta has admitted in the last few days was one of the moments where the title race ran away from Arsenal.

Now Arteta and Arsenal have one of their key men tied down, the next step is to give him some competition and more rest and rotation time.