Mikel Arteta Says Bukayo Saka Nearly Signs New Contract With Arsenal.
Saka has become one of Arsenal’s most influential stars, but his long-term future with the Emirates is in doubt with both Liverpool and Manchester City linked to movements.
Recent reports have suggested that the Premier League champions see the England international as a ‘dream’ replacement for Raheem Sterling, who is making a move to Chelsea this week.
Saka is said to be one of the lowest earners for the Arsenal squad, reportedly on a deal worth £30,000 a week.
The Gunners are desperate to tie him to a new deal, with Arteta insisting that both the club and the player are almost ready to pull it off.
“We will try and we both have the same intention and it is only a matter of time,” Arteta said.
The Spaniard was speaking after a friendly 2-0 win over Everton in Baltimore. Gabriel Jesus was again one of the goals he also scored in last week’s 5-3 win over Nuremberg, with Arteta happy to win another solid preseason display.
“It was good, two very different halves. I think we were very good in the first half, very intense,” said Arteta.
“We understood where the spaces were and the execution was very good. We were a threat all the time, we had a lot of bodies attacking.
‘We were very direct, the counter press was great, I really liked that we didn’t give in. We got off to a slow start in the second half. We changed the formation and we had too many giveaways, it didn’t give us control over the game.
“We held on for 20 minutes, we switched again and I think we’re back in control. Overall, the guys did what they do in training. They train very well, every session very intense and you can see how they play.’
Arsenal will continue their pre-season campaign against Orlando City on Thursday, July 21, before taking on Chelsea in the early hours of the following Sunday morning in Florida.
The Gunners will return to the Emirates Cup at the end of July, before starting their Premier League campaign to Crystal Palace on August 5.
LAKE : Mikel Arteta promises William Saliba the chance to become the star of Arsenal’s first team
LAKE : Omari Hutchinson sends message to Arsenal fans after joining Chelsea
For more stories like this, check our sports page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news about
facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
