Arsenal make breakthrough in Bukayo Saka contract talks as star set to become top earner
Eyewitness
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is on the verge of capping off a stellar season by signing a new contract at the Emirates Stadium.
The academy graduate has been one of the Gunners' leading scorers this season, scoring 13 times in the league and 14 in all competitions. The tally is his best ever single-season return, with only Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard scoring more for Mikel Arteta's side.
Top scorer Martinelli agreed terms on a new deal earlier in the season, and now Saka is poised to follow suit. The deal would make the Englishman Arsenal's highest earner, surpassing summer signing Gabriel Jesus.
Saka's new contract is expected to see him quadruple his current earnings. The 21-year-old last signed an extension in 2020, with his current deal expiring at the end of the 2023-24 season.
According to The Independent, Saka is "committed" to reaching an agreement with the club. A new deal could even be confirmed before the end of the current campaign, after talks which began before the turn of the year.
Saka isn't the only Arsenal star being tipped to commit his long-term future to the club. The Times reports that Aaron Ramsdale will receive a "significant increase" on his current salary, while the Gunners remain hopeful of agreeing new terms with centre-back William Saliba.
Saka has played a big role in Arsenal's title push, which comes off the back of a fifth-place finish last season. His form has earned plaudits from manager Mikel Arteta, who spoke in April about what has changed for the forward.
"First of all his mentality, there has been a shift there," Arteta said. "How much he wants it, what he does every single day and then obviously the maturity, the knowledge of what to do in every situation, his decision-making is getting better and better.
"He is deciding football matches more often and he has good team-mates at Arsenal and England and that is an important thing to have when you play in attacking positions.
