Arsenal could be forced to include Bukayo Saka’s contract clause after top-4 collapse

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has two years left on his current deal at the Emirates but missing out on the Champions League will complicate the forthcoming negotiations

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Mikel Arteta’s end-of-season speech

According to reports, Arsenal’s dramatic collapse could still have an impact on Bukayo Saka and his upcoming contract negotiations.

Saka has played a key role in placing the Gunners in the top four, scoring 11 goals and recording six assists for teammates. And it looked like the 20-year-old’s individual exploits would lead to Arsenal’s return to the Champions League – only to see their dream quickly become a nightmare.

In the driver’s seat less than two weeks ago, heavy defeats at the hands of Tottenham and Newcastle have seen Mikel Arteta’s youthful squad slip to fifth in the league, while their north London rivals are now just a point from the post .

Arsenal must now hope that relegated Norwich City can beat Spurs in the final day to give them a chance of a long-awaited return to Europe’s top competition.

More likely, Saka and co will have to settle for the Europa League, with Arteta adamant he will continue to be aggressive in the transfer window to take them to the next level. But fans are all too aware that retaining their own stars is just as important, having left an influx of players to their Premier League rivals in recent years.

The loss of Academy graduate Saka would be a particularly bitter pill and would derail hopes that he could be the heart of their team for years to come. The England international has two years left on the contract he signed in 2020 but the club are looking to secure his future for much longer and plan talks with his agent at the end of the season.

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Earlier this season, Saka emerged as a potential target for Liverpool and there is a feeling his salary must now reflect his standing as one of the club’s most important players. Daily Mail report that while the forward is happy at the Emirates, he has a desire to play in the Champions League and would therefore be reluctant to agree to new terms with no release clause.

While such clauses are widespread in the rest of Europe, they remain rare in the Premier League and would confer some power on the player himself. However, the report adds that the Gunners could be willing to make an exception so important is his importance to their plans.

Meanwhile, Arteta insists missing out on the Champions League will not deter his ambitious plans to take Arsenal back to the top of English and European football. “We will take the club to the next level. That’s the ambition,” he explained.

“We again have a very clear plan on how we want to do it and implement it. It’s no secret we need resources and we need to increase the quality and depth of the squad while maintaining us as a club and the people we have by our side. That will be the challenge in the coming season.”