Arsenal agree new deal with Bukayo Saka amid Manchester City interest – report

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka celebrates after his team's victory in the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on 22 January, 2023 in London, United Kingdom.
(Image credit: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Bukayo Saka will reportedly agree a new long-term contract at Arsenal, ending speculation of a move to Manchester City.

The Gunners' star man has been linked with a switch to City for some time, but it now appears that he will be pledging his future to the club he joined at the age of seven.

According to Football Insider, Saka, 21, is set to become one of the highest-paid players at the Emirates Stadium, earning more than £200,000 a week.

Bukayo Saka of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Arsenal at the King Power Stadium on 25 February, 2023 in Leicester, United Kingdom.

Saka has scored 10 goals for Arsenal in all competitions this term (Image credit: Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Arsenal's Player of the Season in each of the past two campaigns, Saka has played a typically talismanic role in 2022/23 as Mikel Arteta's side challenge for the Premier League title.

The England international has 17 goal contributions (9 goals, 8 assists) to his name for the table-topping Gunners, who stayed two points clear of City thanks to a 1-0 win at Leicester on Saturday.

Transfermarkt currently value Saka at just under £90m; the forward's existing deal in North London runs until the end of next season.

Saka made his Arsenal debut in 2018 and has gone on to feature 163 times for the club, scoring 33 goals and helping them to FA Cup glory in 2019/20.

Bukayo Saka of England applauds during the FIFA World Cup 2022 last 16 match between England and Senegal at Al Bayt Stadium on 4 December, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar.

Saka has won 24 caps for England (Image credit: Richard Gordon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Asked earlier this week about the likelihood of tying Saka down to a new contract, Arteta spoke of the club's "responsibility" to keep hold of their biggest stars.

"We want to create a long-term project here," he said, "and for that we need our best players to be committed to the club."

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City might not lure Saka away from Arsenal, but the Gunners could face competition for them in the race for Declan Rice.

Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, who's been dubbed the 'next Erling Haaland'.

And hotshot Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda could be on his way to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...