Saka’s new Arsenal contract shorter than initially reported | OneFootball

Bukayo Saka’s new deal might not last for as long as initially reported, according to new reports following the announcement of the contract extension.

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Initial reports on Bukayo Saka’s new contract with Arsenal suggested it was a five-year deal to 2031, but Sami Mokbel of the BBC reports that it’s more of a “five-season” deal to 2030.

In effect, that means the contract actually lasts four-and-a-half years, taking us to the end of the current campaign and then four years beyond that.

Arsenal and Saka have been in contract talks for quite a while now, so it’s possible the confusion stems from the fact that when negotiations stepped up last summer, it was five years to 2030 at the time.

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That means Arsenal will need to renegotiate Saka’s terms slightly sooner than previously believed, but the deal will still last until the winger is only a few months from his 29th birthday. So he’s expected to spend much of his prime with the Gunners, whether he extends again or not.

Mokbel adds that Saka’s new contract will make him Arsenal’s best-paid player, on wages in excess of £300,000 per week.

Saka’s previous deal was set to expire in 2027, so this was definitely one the club needed to get sorted before moving into his final season.

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The focus is now purely on football and staying fit. Saka scored his eighth goal of the season on Wednesday, in addition to his seven assists, but he was forced off early having already had two (relatively brief) spells on the sidelines through injuries earlier this season.

Arsenal are still competing for trophies on four fronts right now, but the Gunners need their attacking players to step up in a big way over the next few months if that’s going to remain the case.