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As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal will look to try to get Bukayo Saka to sign a new contract at the end of the season. The youngster's contract expires in 2024 but the Gunners will still have a meeting with his agents after this season.
Saka has been a key part of the north London club over the last couple of years. He won the Arsenal 'Player of the Season' award last season and has been their top scorer this season with 12 goals across competitions.
However, the Gunners have had another disappointing season. They look set to miss out on Champions League qualification after being in pole position for a number of weeks throughout the season. They are currently fifth, two points behind rivals Tottenham Hotspur with just one match to go.
However, Romano mentioned in his column for Caught Offside that Saka isn't currently negotiating with other clubs. He wrote (via Caught Offside):
“Arsenal have a meeting scheduled with Bukayo Saka’s agent at the end of the current season. At the moment there are no changes related to the situation for the UCL spot race: Saka is in love with Arsenal but obviously the negotiations are still at early stages. As of today, Saka is not yet negotiating with other clubs.”
ESPN reported in February that Manchester City and Liverpool are monitoring Saka's situation at the Emirates. It will be interesting to see if either club makes a move for the youngster in the summer.
Arsenal's roller coaster season
This has certainly been a season of inconsistencies for Mikel Arteta's men. They finished eighth in the Premier League last season and spent big amounts to make a comeback. As per the Evening Standard, they spent £142 million in the summer of 2021 on the likes of Ben White, Nuno Tavares and Aaron Ramsdale, among others.
However, they started the season with three consecutive defeats. Arteta's men then made a comeback, going 10 games unbeaten in all competitions before losing 4-0 to Liverpool in November.
They exited all cup competitions and with just one game a week, they were in pole position for the fourth spot. They also lost just one Premier League match out of the eight between 23 January and 19 March.
The Gunners then lost three on the trot against Crystal Palace, Southampton, Brighton and Hove Albion. This dented their top-four hopes but they bounced back in style. They beat Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham United and Leeds United in their next four matches.
However, with the fourth spot in their hands, they conceded the advantage to their rivals Tottenham Hotspur. They lost the North London Derby and then against Newcastle United. Now, they seem likely to finish in fifth spot.
It has truly been a rollercoaster season for Arsenal fans.
