'Bukayo Saka's Arsenal future doubted after Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool situation'
04/02/2025 03:00 AM
Arsenal are at risk of losing Bukayo Saka on a free transfer as his contract runs down, Darren Bent has suggested.
The former England international believes that the Gunners will need to win a major trophy soon if they are to convince the winger they are the right place to re-sign long-term.
Saka has just returned to the fold for Arsenal after a long spell out with injury, but will be entering the final two years of his contract at the Emirates come the summer.
He came off the bench in the win over Fulham on 1 April and found the net within minutes of his return to action.
Mikel Arteta‘s side will therefore be desperate to secure a new deal for the 23-year-old, although Bent believes the player himself will want to see what the club do first before committing his future.
Darren Bent sends warning over Bukayo Saka contract
As things stand, Arsenal look to be on course for a third consecutive runners up finish in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool, who still look set to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, have replaced Man City as the Gunners’ likely conquerers, with the full-back’s expected exit highlighting the danger.
The right-back is in line to leave on a free transfer with his contract having run down at Anfield over recent years.
| Trent Alexander-Arnold key Liverpool stats 2024/25 | Total (as per Transfermarkt) |
| Appearances | 39 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Yellow Cards | 4 |
| Red Cards | 0 |
With time running out on Saka‘s own deal with the Gunners, Bent has suggested things could play out in a similar way for him, if he does not soon lift a major title with the club.
He also believes a similar situation could play out with Arsenal centre-back William Saliba who is also attracting interest from Real Madrid.
Even so, Bent also suggested the fact Alexander-Arnold has won bigger trophies with Liverpool than Saka has, will make it harder for the winger to leave the Emirates, with the former striker telling talkSPORT:
“At some point it’s going to come to a point where Arsenal need to win a Premier League or a Champions League, something big.
“A League Cup, which is big, doesn’t keep a player like Saka or Saliba, because he’s another one where you go the wolves are really circling, Real Madrid are really talking about Saliba being next.
“Arsenal need to match his ambition and if I’m Saka I would love him to sign tomorrow, a new five-year deal I’d love it but if you’re Saka realistically as a player surely you want to wait and see.
“But then again to the whole Trent [thing], the only thing with Trent where it’s different, Trent’s won everything there is to win, so when he goes now he goes ‘alright I’ve done my part’.
“Two Premier League titles, Champions League (for Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool), Saka’s [won an] FA Cup. So it’s like ‘well come on if you’re trying to leave us we’re trying to get to where we’re going to, what do you do then’.
“So I almost think it’s more of a difficult conversation for Saka than it is for Trent.”
Arsenal must act fast over contract situations
Football Insider Verdict
There is no doubt that Saka is a player with the talent to win the very biggest trophies on offer in football during his career.
He himself will know that and will surely have ambitions to do so, meaning he may hold off on signing a contract with Arsenal until he feels they are in a position to give him that silverware.
In that sense, there is little the Gunners can do bar offer him a huge contract to convince him to sign but there is other action they can take.
If Arsenal are active in the transfer window this summer, they could put together a squad that is more capable of winning major silverware.
There is already pressure on the Gunners to strengthen in the summer to take that extra step in the title race, and it could also give Saka the incentive to extend his contract at the Emirates.
As a result, there are plenty of reasons why it feels essential for Arsenal that they are active in terms of making signings once the market opens again.
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