Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is said to have signed a new contract at the club.
The England international is the face of the Gunners, and he has arguably been their best player since Mikel Arteta’s project began in 2019.
Saka’s deal was set to expire in the summer of 2027, so tying him down to a new contract was high on the list of priorities at Arsenal.
That has now been done, and reports have claimed that Arsenal could announce Saka’s contract extension just before the North London Derby, perhaps to give the Gunners a big boost.
Is Bukayo Saka right?
Which club are going to argue this the most I wonder 🤔😂
This would not be the first time Arteta’s side have done this either.
What happened the last time Arsenal announced a contract extension before the North London Derby
If league positions and titles are put aside, the North London Derby is the biggest game of the season for both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The rivalry between the two clubs is a fierce one, and every time they face each other, it is a sight to behold because of the passion shown by the two sets of supporters.
Both teams will try to get as much advantage as possible before the big game, and Arsenal have turned to big contract announcements just before the derby to lift the mood.
It looks like Bukayo Saka’s new deal will be the major news this time, but back in September 2024, just three days before the game, Arsenal announced that Arteta had signed a new contract.
The Spaniard put pen to paper on a new three-year deal, and that news was welcomed with open arms ahead of a game where Arsenal were at a big disadvantage.
The Gunners were without their midfield as Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard were ruled out with injuries, while Declan Rice was suspended. Even Riccardo Calafiori was unavailable.
The contract announcement just days prior was a much-needed boost, and Arsenal went on to win the game 1-0 thanks to a goal from Gabriel Magalhaes.
We’re sure Arteta will be hoping that Saka’s contract announcement will have a similar impact on the result in the North London Derby on Sunday.
Send us your early North London Derby score predictions, how bold are you feeling?
Contract announcements just before Tottenham clash have also backfired on Arsenal
As analysed above, Arsenal’s last big announcement before the North London Derby worked just as planned, but that hasn’t always been the case.
In September 2023, the Gunners announced that club captain Odegaard had signed a new contract just two days before the game against Tottenham at home. Unfortunately, Arteta’s men were held to a 2-2 draw.
If you go back a year, in 2022, it backfired even worse.
Arsenal published the news that Arteta had penned a new contract a week before the derby when both sides were fighting for fourth place in the table.
The Gunners lost that game 3-0 and finished fifth that season.
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