KEY POINTS

  • Bukayo Saka commits to four-year deal with Arsenal
  • Borussia Dortmund will have to target someone else
  • Arteta gets sigh of relief but more needed to rebuild Arsenal

Arsenal has been facing a lot of problems the past days as they head into the next transfer window with little options. The Gunners are trying to curb down spending, a reality that all clubs are facing right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Mikel Arteta made it clear that they will prioritize deserving players under their wing and one of them is Bukayo Saka.

The 18-year-old player has garnered interest from several teams but the English winger is not going anywhere. Saka agreed to a fresh four-year deal, snuffing all speculations that he could be exiting Emirates Stadium in the summer.

“I'm so happy to finally announce my contract extension. I love playing for this club and I'm looking forward to what the future holds. The hard work continues so I can continue living my dream,” Saka said in part via his Twitter account.

Saka has been with the Gunners since he was only seven years old and has been drawing attention due to his fine performance. His impressive dribbling, skills and trickery were some of the things that captured the eye of rival clubs, most of who were closely monitoring his situation.

One team that was pretty interested in Saka was Borussia Dortmund. They were keeping tabs with the 18-year-old's contract situation and the latest development will likely force them to focus on other targets. For Arsenal, the development is a big sigh of relief for Arteta who has been trying to deal with a lot of things for the Gunners as of late.

“Bukayo is a talented and intelligent young player. He has impressed me with his work ethic and attitude to learn and adapt, and it has paid off in his performances,” Arteta said.

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka scored in the win at Bournemouth
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka scored in the win at Bournemouth AFP / Glyn KIRK

Now, Arteta tries to figure out other players that the Gunners may need. In a recent post, one player who could be moving out is Matteo Guendouzi. He and Arteta don't appear to be getting along and the hot-headed French players may be part of a deal this summer. The Gunners are exploring player swaps with other teams with Guendouzi reportedly included. So far, the only clubs interested in Guendouzi are Real Madrid and Barcelona. Other clubs could start inquiring especially with the 21-year-old hardly used in matches right now.