Saka's new deal offers hope after Arsenal's historic title failure

Tom Weber

• 23 May 2023 17:50 BST
• 3 min read

Bukayo Saka's fresh contract shows the new face of Arsenal - and offers hope in the face of historic failure.

Arsenal have been something of a banter club since Arsene Wenger left. In fact, they began turning into one when Wenger was still there, but the Gunners have put those days firmly behind them now.

Not only did they run a seemingly unstoppable Manchester City side incredibly close, they are becoming smarter and more ambitious in the transfer market. The signings of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus this season and Martin Odegaard previously signalled this turn, and the recent contract renewals hammer the point home further.

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Ultimately, Arsenal are coming off a season to be proud of as nobody expected this team to be able to mount a serious challenge. Yet there is no getting around the fact that the failure to get the job done was a historic one, given the advantage the Gunners had over the Manchester side.

This failure and the lessons to be drawn from it can serve as the foundation for future success, however, and Bukayo Saka's new deal will go a long way in making this success a reality.

'The right club'

The 21-year-old has been one of Arsenal's standout performers over the past two seasons, chipping in with a very impressive 13 goals and 11 assists in the league this term.

The Gunners can now offer an ambitious youngster like Saka, who previously may have left for City or Chelsea, a proper project and a concrete pathway to the very top of the game.

Arsenal are real contenders now, and Saka's comments after signing his new deal reflect that. "I think this is the right club, the right place to make the next step. It's a beautiful club - look where we are."

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"For me, it's about achieving my personal ambitions; how much I push myself and demand from myself each game, week in, week out. Then I have all the right people around me in terms of family, and when I come to the training ground, my teammates, the coaching staff."

"I think I have everything I need to become the best player I can be, and that's why I'm happy to stay here and be here for the future, because I really believe that we can achieve big things."

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