Bukayo Saka is in line to become the highest-paid player in Arsenal’s history, with the club preparing a bumper new contract to keep the winger at the Emirates for years to come. Talks are progressing behind the scenes, and a formal offer worth £300,000-a-week is expected to be put on the table ahead of the summer.
Saka returned from a hamstring injury earlier this month to a thunderous reception from the Emirates crowd, underlining just how important he is to this Arsenal side—not just in terms of performances, but also identity. The 22-year-old has been a cornerstone of the Gunners’ rise under Mikel Arteta and remains central to the club’s long-term vision.
Since breaking into the first team as a teenager under Unai Emery in 2018, Saka has become one of the most consistent and exciting wide players in the world. His form this season—before his injury—was again impressive, and his return has immediately boosted Arsenal’s attacking fluency. FourFourTwo recently ranked him as the third-best right winger in world football, a status that’s hard to argue with given his output and influence at such a young age.
The new contract, which would see his weekly wages jump from £195,000 to £300,000, is designed to reflect both his status and importance. It would make him Arsenal’s top earner, overtaking Kai Havertz (£280,000), and put him in the same bracket as former Gunners star Mesut Özil, who signed a £350,000-a-week deal in 2018. Club captain Martin Ødegaard and striker Gabriel Jesus also sit near the top of the current wage structure, but Saka’s new deal would establish him as the face of the team—and its future.
Sporting director Andrea Berta, who joined Arsenal earlier this year, is believed to be prioritising Saka’s new deal and wants it wrapped up before the transfer window opens. Graeme Bailey of TBR Football reports that the club is pulling out all the stops to ensure the contract is finalised quickly, avoiding any lingering uncertainty as Arsenal prepare for another season of competing on multiple fronts.
Saka’s loyalty to the club has never been in question. He has previously spoken openly about his love for Arsenal, recently saying he “wants to win wearing this badge.” Arteta, too, has praised the winger’s deep-rooted connection to the club, saying via the BBC that Saka is “very committed to the club” and shares the values and ambition that Arsenal are building around.
The proposed deal is also a significant statement from Arsenal. It shows that they are willing to pay elite wages to retain elite talent—especially their homegrown stars. Saka has been with the club since the age of six, and securing his long-term future sends a message not only to the fanbase but to the wider football world: Arsenal are no longer a selling club.
With the Gunners expected to be active in the summer market as they look to strengthen key positions, tying down Saka early will be seen as a crucial first step in a broader strategy to maintain upward momentum. And while signings will come and go, few players are as symbolic—or as vital—to Arsenal’s present and future as Bukayo Saka.
