Arteta in dreamland as bona fide superstar signs with Arsenal

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·9 January 2026

Arteta in dreamland as bona fide superstar signs with Arsenal

Arsenal have agreed a deal with one of the game’s greats in what’s already being called their ‘signing of the season’.

The Gunners have assembled the deepest squad in the Premier League and look set to reap the rewards this season by ending their 20-plus year wait for a Premier League title.

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The vast bulk of Arsenal’s big-money recruits in recent years have been successes, though of equal importance is retaining the best and brightest already at their disposal.

Since Andrea Berta took the sporting director’s role, Arsenal have made a concerted effort to agree new deals with numerous players.

The likes of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, to name just four, have penned fresh terms in north London.

But unquestionably the most important deal that could be made regarded talismanic winger, Bukayo Saka.

And after months of negotiations – all of which always pointed to Saka extending his stay with Arsenal – an official agreement has now been struck.

That’s according to the ultra-reliable David Ornstein who reported for The Athletic: ‘Bukayo Saka has committed his future to Arsenal by agreeing a new and improved five-year deal.

‘Saka was tied down until June 2027 but talks have been taking place about an extension and fresh terms are now in the process of being finalised.

‘They will secure the 24-year-old England winger to the Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2031, in what comes as a huge boost to Mikel Arteta’s men.’

Saka previously earned around £195,000-a-week at Arsenal, and while the exact details in his new deal are yet to emerge, our insider, Graeme Bailey, previously revealed in late-December that Saka was in line to earn around £300,000-a-week.

A salary on that scale will make Saka Arsenal’s highest paid player at present, though not in their history. Mesut Ozil previously pocketed around £350,000-a-week during the latter years of his spell with the Gunners.

Saka extension Arsenal’s ‘signing of the season’

Saka might not return the truly top-end numbers in terms of goals and assists each season, though he is very much one of world football’s leading wingers and his importance to Arsenal and their style of play cannot be understated.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon quickly described the Saka extension as Arsenal’s ‘signing of the season.’

He wrote: ‘This is brilliant news for Arsenal and the club’s fans.

‘Saka, aged only 24, is only going to keep improving and will now be at Arsenal for what should be considered to be the prime years of his career.

‘In October, he became the seventh-youngest player to reach 100 Premier League goals and assists combined, highlighting just how important he is to Arteta’s side.

‘By sorting out Saka’s future before he entered the last year of his original deal, Arsenal have avoided any potential headaches as he would undoubtedly have been of interest to the biggest teams in Europe.

‘Saka has continually shown he can deliver for Arsenal and England, establishing himself as one of the best players in the Premier League and on the international stage, and you could form an argument that this is the club’s best signing of the season due to how important he is.’