Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka agrees new long-term deal at Emirates ‘in principle’ – reports

Bukayo Saka has reached an agreement in principle for a new Arsenal contract, according to reports.

The 21-year-old had a contract that ran until summer 2023 which was extended by the club for a further year, meaning that a new deal would have to be agreed soon in order to avoid losing the player on a free or reduced transfer fee.

As one of the best young English players operating at the moment he would have had offers from across Europe, particularly at a knockdown valuation or if he could have been signed for nothing.

The left-sided England player has been one of the national team’s and his club’s best performers in recent years, and has helped Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table under Mikel Arteta.

The Athletic reports that a “long-term” contract has been agreed, but cautions that any deal could take a while longer before it is signed, despite the deal being “in place.”

Saka has made 162 appearances for Arsenal and can operate anywhere on the left flank, and has scored 33 goals after making his debut in the 2018/19 season. He has scored 10 goals in 31 appearances so far this term.

His form has drawn plaudits from his team-mates, with Oleksandr Zinchenko saying attacking players such as Saka should be protected by officials – following some stiff treatment in the recent win over Aston Villa.

Zinchenko said: “Bukayo is an unbelievable player, all the full-backs from the other teams know he’s so dangerous, so they try to provoke him, tackle him and the referees should know this.

“We can speak about [Lionel] Messi, Cristiano [Ronaldo], Neymar and players like this. The referees need to protect this kind of player. Apart from Bukayo, we have other front players who are so dangerous and the referees need to be careful, they need to look after them of course.”

He made his England debut in 2020, with seven goals and 24 caps so far.

Arsenal travel to Leicester City on Saturday in their next Premier League match. The North London club are two points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand on their nearest rivals Manchester City, as well as on Manchester United in third place.