Arsenal fans are eagerly waiting for Bukayo Saka to sign a new contract at the club.
Andrea Berta is wasting no time in getting Arsenal’s contracts in order, with William Saliba signing a new deal most recently.
Expected to follow the Frenchman is Saka, who is keen on staying at Arsenal to continue to be a crucial part of Mikel Arteta’s project.
Having risen from Arsenal’s academy, there’s no player fans would love to see spend their prime years at the Emirates than Saka, whose new deal has had the club’s hierarchy reminiscing.
Arsenal have learned from Ashley Cole mistake with Bukayo Saka contract
Saka is already one of Arsenal’s highest earners, and a new contract would see the winger’s salary take a considerable jump.
It’s understood that Arsenal could offer Saka up to £250k-a-week with his new deal, a financial reward that the Gunners knew they had to offer their star player.
Speaking on the Beyond The Back Four podcast, finance expert Kieran Maguire suspected that Saka’s proposed new deal shows that Arsenal have learned their lesson after watching Ashley Cole sign for Chelsea in 2006.
“I think it’s a very good deal for Arsenal. First of all, you want players to be happy and feel valued, and I think Bukayo Saka will, should this deal be signed,” Maguire said.
“I think Arsenal have learned lessons from when they had Ashley Cole again, he came through the ranks and fantastic player. He was offered a derisory £60,000 a week, and let’s face it, you know, who would get out of bed for that these days?”
Maguire joked, but emphasised that Arsenal had to learn the hard way in that instance, and fast forward to 2025, and the Gunners are hoping that their bad experience can amount to some good.
“He [Cole] left to go to Chelsea, and it left a bad taste in the mouth between the club and the player and the fan base,” Maguire continued.
“I think Arsenal will have reflected on that, and they don’t want to repeat such behaviour.”
Cole still struggles after Arsenal fallout
Arsenal know first hand how problematic wages can be at Premier League clubs, with Cole still feeling the wrath of his controversial transfer.
Speaking to Sky Sports back in 2019, Cole admitted that he still feels hurt by how Arsenal fans treat him.
“It hurts me because it wasn’t just my fault. I didn’t leave for no reason. I didn’t go to Arsene Wenger and say ‘today I want to leave’ – there was more to it,” the former left-back said.
“It happens in football, and I see it happen to a lot of other players. It’s life.
“I moved on and they moved on, but I do feel sometimes a bit sad because it was my club and I played there since I was nine. To have that ill-feeling from the fans still is hard sometimes.”
For Arsenal fans, it’s difficult to look past an academy product leaving to sign for a London rival, but for Cole, the situation was more than merely hunting glory elsewhere.
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