Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka signs new long-term contract to stay at the Emirates until 2027

Bukayo Saka has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal to stay at his boyhood club until 2027.

The winger, 21, has become an integral part of Mikel Arteta’s squad and his performances have made him one of the most sought after players in European football.

Manchester City were among a host of clubs eyeing Saka’s future as talks continued.

But the England international has now committed his future to Arsenal and will become one of the club’s top earners.

The deal, as revealed by Mail Sport in February – including bonuses and other attached payments – would be close to £15m, bringing his weekly wages to around £300,000 a week.

The 21-year-old has played a vital role in Arsenal’s impressive 2022-23 season and title chase

Saka is one of a group of young players Arsenal have tried to sign up this season.

Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes signed new contracts earlier this year, while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale announced his extension last week. Talks about a new deal for William Saliba continue.

Arsenal had already activated an extension to Saka’s previous contract, tying him for a further 12 months until 2024.

But this news comes as a huge boost for Arteta’s side, who have seen their title hopes evaporate in recent weeks.

After confirming the new contract, Saka shared his joy at extending his stay at the ‘beautiful club’.

“I’m just really happy, I’m in the right place to take the next step. It’s a wonderful club and I’m so happy,” Saka began. “When I was at the Academy at Hale End I was just a kid who wanted to play and enjoy myself, and of course as you get older it gets more and more serious.

“It’s been a great journey with a lot of hard work and I’ve kept that drive in me. When I made my first team debut I really realized ‘oh my god, I really did it’. I’ve fulfilled that dream and now it’s about staying here and keeping it that way.’

Saka added that while it “hurts a lot” to think about the end of this season, he had seen “a lot of positive changes” during his time in the first team.

“One thing I can say is that since the last two, three years I’ve been playing I’ve seen this team and the club grow and we’re moving in the right direction,” he added.

“The fans have been so good this year. Even when I see supporters outside the stadium, we have so much in common in terms of how passionate we are about this team.

“I feel like some of the supporters I meet, if they could play, they’d give it their all, I can see it in their eyes when we talk. We are all really more connected and you can feel that in the stadium’.

Despite Arsenal’s disappointing end to their title chase season, Saka noted the importance of things ‘going in the right direction’ at the Emirates

Saka has a strong relationship with head coach Mikel Arteta, who joined the club in 2019

The winger gave high praise to both his manager Arteta and the club’s sporting director Edu, emphasizing the faith both men had in him.

Mikel really cares about the players on a personal level. As a player, you really bond with him,” Saka said. “Personally, Mikel has been so good to me. Since he came in I have improved so much and am so grateful to him.

‘Edu is amazing and is the person who helped me get my number 7. I couldn’t believe it he just said yes ok of course we can give it to you.

“Those are the moments when I realized how much everyone at this club believed in me. It was such a beautiful moment.’