Arsenal move quickly on contract talks for duo amid Manchester City pressure

Arsenal are set to open talks with Bukayo Saka over extending his contract, LondonWorld understands.

Saka signed a new four-year contract in May 2023 in a deal which lasts until the summer of 2027, but club officials are keen on tying the England international down on a longer-term deal.

Manchester City are closely monitoring Saka’s situation and already have a good working relationship with his representatives, while Real Madrid are also keen.

He has 62 goals and 57 assists in 241 games across all competitions and remains highly marketable, featuring in sponsorship deals for the likes of Burberry, New Balance, Nando’s and PayPal.

Saka’s commercial appeal, alongside his on-field performances, allows him to command a substantially higher salary and image rights package to his peers.

The 23-year-old, valued at £116 million by Transfermarkt - though Arsenal rate him even higher - currently sees his future at Emirates Stadium. However, it’s understood he plans to reassess his options as his current contract nears its end.

On Saturday, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta responded to questions about Saka's commitment to England after he pulled out of national team duty due to injury.

England captain Harry Kane described 10 players withdrawing from the squad as "disappointing" and suggested that "it's a tough period of the season and maybe that's been taken advantage of a little bit."

"Well, we can send an MRI scan, it's very simple," Arteta said. "That's a communication that was very clear between the medical staff of Arsenal and the England national team.

"He hasn't done anything, he was away and needed time to heal. He's done one training session."

Meanwhile, Arsenal are in talks with Ethan Nwaneri over a new contract which would reflect his recent rise into the first team.

The 17-year-old signed his first professional contract in March of this year, but will be rewarded with increased terms ahead of his birthday in March.

"He's brave," Arteta said after Nwaneri’s goalscoring performance against Nottingham Forest.

"You see the reaction of fans, and they were singing 'he's one of our own.' That’s a story in itself.

“I think we have to put brick by brick and make sure the cement doesn’t get dry. Hopefully, we can build a beautiful thing with him."