Bukayo Saka: Arsenal set new exit decision date after release clause compromise in contract renewal
Arsenal will hold further talks about the future of Bukayo Saka in two years’ time after recently renewing his contract, a report has revealed.
Saka signed a new deal with Arsenal earlier this week, keeping him at the club until 2027. It will come as a relief after how well he has done for them this season. Although Arsenal will finish second, Saka is one of only two players in the Premier League – the other being Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah – to have double figures for both goals and assists.
Therefore, there would understandably have been significant interest in Saka if Arsenal had failed to tie him down. Now, their concerns have been eased for a while.
But as the 21-year-old continues his development, other elite clubs won’t be losing sight of him. Now, the Daily Mail has revealed when the next major milestone in determining Saka’s future will be.
Per the report, Arsenal will make a decision about Saka again in 2025. By then, there will only be two years remaining on his contract again.
Indeed, the two parties reached a compromise when agreeing Saka’s recent renewal; Arsenal resisted attempts by his entourage to include a release clause in his contract, instead settling for a shorter extension than would have been ideal.
Therefore, should Saka wish to move on, Arsenal could cash in on him in 2025. If they are still determined to keep him, though, they will offer him another contract extension then.
It will be interesting to see what Arsenal can achieve in the two seasons until then. They pushed Manchester City close for the title this year, but have ended the campaign without a trophy.
Coincidentally, Man City are one of the clubs to have most frequently been linked with Saka. His immediate future will still be in north London, though.
Arsenal against inclusion of Bukayo Saka release clause
TEAMtalk was exclusively told by Ben Jacobs two months ago that Saka’s new contract could contain “player-led clauses” that would allow him to “have [his] cake and eat it”, so to speak.
And although there isn’t a formal release clause in the new deal, since Edu would rather take charge of any negotiations, the length of the extension – and specifically the fact that Arsenal will reassess Saka’s future within just two years – represents the kind of compromise that will keep the England international’s future open.
Furthermore, Saka has become one of the best-paid players in the Premier League thanks to his new terms. As the report reflects, his salary has trebled to around £200,000 per week. Bonuses could increase it further, up to £290,000 per week.
Arsenal will hope their investment pays off and that Saka can inspire them to more concrete success in the next couple of years.
Since coming through their academy, he has gone on to score a total of 37 goals from 178 appearances, also providing 40 assists.
