Bukayo Saka has been a revelation since graduating from Arsenal’s Hale End academy in 2019, to the point where he is now viewed as one of the club's most valuable assets. It is for this reason that The Athletic reported on Monday that the Gunners had held preliminary discussions with Saka's representatives, with the prospect of a new contract mentioned, which ndicates that formal talks over that new deal may not be far away.
It had also been previously reported by football.london that the Gunners have made extending the current contract of the youngster a major priority ahead of the summer transfer window. Due to the importance of keeping him at the club, it means Arsenal will have to offer a contract that ensures his long-term future.
Saka’s current deal is set to expire in 2024 so it is important that Arsenal offer him the correct contract to prevent losing him for a cut-price fee. The Arsenal Way team looks at certain clauses in Saka’s new contract that would ensure he stays in north London.
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Tom Canton - The Arsenal Way Writer/Presenter
Arsenal have improved dramatically their handling of contract extensions with technical director Edu and more recently Richard Garlick arriving. One of the obvious changes has been inserting additional year options into player deals.
Saka’s current contract has the option of extending for a further year thus giving the club greater control over the player’s future. It goes without saying that any future renewal must also take this into account.
Secondly, incentivised wage structure. These aren’t a new facet of Arsenal deals but specifically, a player such as Bukayo Saka needs a balanced objective-based deal to further his development at the club.
Goals, assists and clean sheets should be focused on for the winger who whilst adding plenty to the forward line, must not forget his defensive duties hence the latter incentive. Saka, having deputised at left-back has plenty of experience here already, however having the bonuses involved can give Mikel Arteta extra assurance.
Lastly, and likely the most difficult, Saka must never sign for a rival Premier League club. Selfish? Maybe, but frankly, the idea of seeing our star boy adorning a Liverpool or Manchester City shirt need not be worth thinking about. Therefore, prohibiting a sale throughout the duration of the deal rules out this fear.
Bailey Keogh - The Arsenal Way Writer/Presenter
Bukayo Saka has been linked to Liverpool n the past, and it is for this reason his contract must be designed to prevent the Reds from taking him in the future. Arsenal can do this by inserting a higher release clause for Premier League clubs, compared to clubs in Europe.
There must also be a clause that prevents Saka signing for a Champions League club if Arsenal are still in the competition. This could be crucial in the Gunners’ attempt to win the competition in the future.
Arsenal must also insert the ability to extend his contract by a further year. With the uncertainty surrounding the north London sides’ progression to the Champions League, there is no guarantee that the club will qualify for the competition every season, and it could be towards the end of Saka’s new contract that Arsenal guarantees a spot. For this reason, it is imperative to give him as many years as possible.
Finally, Saka should be given a bonus if he is able to persuade an England teammate to join the club on a transfer. England have many promising stars who are set to be the best player in their position, and with Saka being amongst these players he could potentially sway a top talent to join the club, and he should be rewarded for doing so.
Chris Davison - The Arsenal Way Writer/Presenter
Although I like the sound of what Tom and Bailey have listed, they've missed perhaps one of the most important clauses of all and that's the buy-back.
It's not one you often see used in football, not in Arsenal's case anyway. But here we are talking about a generational talent that is only going to get better and better.
Of course, it is my ultimate wish that we never have to witness Saka depart the club. However, in the unfortunate event of him being sold, a buy-back option would enable the Gunners to bring him back home where he belongs sometime in the future.
I think we can all look back and agree that letting Serge Gnabry leave without inserting such a clause into his contract was a pretty big mistake, so let's make sure that doesn't happen again with Bukayo. Please.
