Image source: theguardian.com
Bukayo Saka has agreed a new five-year contract at Arsenal that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the club’s history, with the deal understood to lift his pay to approximately £300,000 per week and running until 2032 when the England forward will be approaching his 30th birthday.
Bukayo Saka Agrees New Five-Year Arsenal Contract With Major Wage Increase to £300k Weekly
The England forward’s current deal that he signed in May 2023 is thought to be worth about £200,000 a week and is due to expire in 2027. Saka said before the Champions League quarter-final victory against Real Madrid in April that he wanted to “win wearing this badge” but also said he was in “no rush” to sign a new contract at that time.
Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta made it a priority to secure the future of the Hale End academy graduate after tying down Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly to long-term contracts last year. Saka’s representatives have agreed the deal that will run until 2032, with confirmation expected soon from Arsenal regarding the contract extension.
The deal is understood to take his earnings beyond £15 million per season, equivalent to about £300,000 per week, placing him in an elite bracket of players in Europe that Arsenal believe represents the 24-year-old’s importance. At present, Kai Havertz is thought to be Arsenal’s best-paid player, having signed a contract worth £280,000 per week when he joined from Chelsea in 2023, while Mesut Özil previously earned a reported £350,000 per week after signing a contract extension in 2018.
Saka has been outstanding in recent weeks as Arsenal have established a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League and is benefiting from the signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea as back-up on the right wing. His minutes have been carefully managed since he sustained a minor hamstring injury in August, with Saka starting on the bench against Club Brugge, Brentford and Bournemouth since the start of December.
Arsenal are also believed to be keen to reward Declan Rice with an improved deal in recognition of his increasing influence at the club. The England midfielder signed a five-year contract with an option to extend by 12 months when he joined from West Ham in 2023 for £105 million, and the club wants to reflect his growing importance with enhanced terms.
