Arsenal begin Saka 2.0 contract negotiations

On the day Arsenal launched the Premier League, could you imagine a better image than seeing Bukayo Saka holding the trophy in his arms?

Back in 2020, Saka sat motionless on the grass with the Gunners in a huge rut. Mikel Arteta joined the club and things didn’t get off to a particularly good start. An image of Hail Ender on social media was captioned: “You deserve more Arsenal fans.”

Now, six years on, the Englishman has made good on his promise. Arsenal fans certainly got what they deserved. After 22 years, they were once again champions of England.

Josh Kroenke appears more committed than ever to his Arsenal project as his wait to be crowned King of Europe continues. A major attack on the transfer market could help them become even better within a year.

Arsenal considering signing new Saka

There are several key areas that Arsenal would like to strengthen ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window. After Gabriel missed his spot-kick in Budapest, The Athletic’s David Ornstein outlined it.

Ornstein told TNT Sports: “They know they need to improve at the top end. Statistically they are worse than PSG and Bayern Munich. Attacking on the left is a big priority for them and they’ve been looking at it for a few years, but I think this summer will be the time for them to go for it. They want a number six and eight midfielder. They also want to strengthen their right-back.”

It really feels like attacks are a priority and many targets have already appeared. Their main aim appears to be to lure Morgan Rodgers away from Aston Villa, with reports last week suggesting initial talks have already taken place between Arsenal officials and Rodgers’ camp.

However, with the price likely to exceed £100m, they may have to look for an alternative, and that’s where Marcus Rashford comes into the picture.

Rashford’s future is still up in the air. He was on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United last season and has a £26m option. But despite spending £70m on fellow English player Anthony Gordon, Barca are haggling over his fee.

This opens the door to other suitors, with reports from Spain suggesting three other teams have come to the table to discuss a move. Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle.

All three teams are said to have inquired about the possibility of an agreement at an early stage and have begun negotiations. It is clear that United would prefer to sell Arsenal overseas rather than strengthen them.

Why Rashford could be Arsenal’s new hero

Saka may have endured a more difficult season than usual in Arsenal colors, scoring 11 goals and providing nine assists, but he was certainly more consistent and convincing than the other wide players at Arteta’s disposal.

Improving a title-winning team is usually a difficult task, but this season’s team had a glaring hole, and that was in attack.

The difference between PSG and the Gunners up front is clear. Arsenal would therefore like to find their own version of players such as Hviča Kvaratscheria, Desiree Douye and Ko.

they certainly need it. Noni Madukeke scored just eight goals in all competitions, but Leandro Trossard matched that tally. But even if the Belgian made a comeback late in the season and scored the famous winning goal against West Ham, he had not scored in 25 games in a row before finding the net at the London Stadium.

As for Gabriel Martinelli, he finished the 2025/26 season in style as the club’s joint top scorer with 11 goals, but only one of them actually came in the Premier League.

So what Arsenal need is a player like Saka on the left side of their attack. Rashford could be just that.

For many years, it has relied heavily on Saka for the production of goods. The No. 7 has been the best player of the Arteta era, regularly scoring goals and providing assists for his team-mates.

However, he has been missing his presence on the left since the 2023/24 season, when Leandro Trossard scored 17 goals. In the form of Rashford, they were able to solve the problem.

Manchester United’s academy graduate’s stock may have fallen in recent years, but he had a great season as Barcelona won La Liga.

Considering his numbers, it’s kind of shocking that he hasn’t signed a permanent deal yet. The 28-year-old has scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions.

Like Saka, Rashford is not only a proven English wide player, but importantly, he is one of the best and most proven Premier League players currently on the market.

It was only recently that he achieved world-class numbers. He scored 21 goals and provided 12 assists in the 2020/21 season, and scored 30 times in the 2022/23 season.

In Gordon’s words, he is “one of the best players in the world” and one of the most direct wingers. Like Saka, he likes to get forward as quickly as possible and ranks in the best 8% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries per 90 with 4.70.

Arsenal’s star boy has achieved a score of 4.77 out of 90. In terms of moving the ball forward on the wing, there could be no more similarities.

While some may question Rashford’s attitude, there is no doubting his quality. It could be available at a bargain price and would be a great deal for Andrea Berta.