COMMENT: Bukayo Saka is a good player. A potentially great player. But he’s no £300,000-a-week player. And Arsenal would do well to remind his minders of this as negotiations over a new contract reach the final stretch…
£300,000-a-week. That’s what we’re hearing. As these marathon contract talks reach their end point, Saka and his camp appear ready to settle on Arsenal‘s offer of £300,000-a-week to re-sign. At 21 years of age, the attacking midfielder – now effectively in his third full season of senior football – will become the highest paid player not only inside Arsenal‘s locker room, but also England’s. And in terms of age and experience, you can say the same of any player of his generation.
As we say, he’s good player, is Saka. But not a great one. Indeed, for all the hype spouted from local press and pundits, no serious football person is claiming he’s in the same category as peers like Gavi, Pedri and Vinicius Jr. Indeed, this column would put Napoli‘s Georgian phenomenon Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ahead of the Gooner.
This isn’t to run Saka down. Simply there’s a lot of great, young, exciting talent running around the pitches of Europe – and none of them are being paid what Saka is about to begin earning. Those peers will still be playing for those future riches. The hunger. The desire. It’ll be still a key driver in their careers. But once Saka inks that contract, the question must be asked: where to next?
The best paid of his generation. The best paid at his club. His country. What will drive Saka, at 21, for the next 10-15 years? Will the ambition be blunted? Will the motivation wane? Essentially, will Saka become the next Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Mesut Ozil at Arsenal?
With such wages will come greater scrutiny. Greater expectations. He’ll no longer be the local lad from Hale End. He’ll be Mr £300,000-a-week. It’ll follow him everywhere. Every match report. Every interview. The demands will skyrocket. It’ll be a 5-star performance or bust. There’ll be no inbetween. He need just ask Auba or Ozil. At 21, is Saka ready for that? Is his family? His support team?
“Humble”. “Respectful”. This is how Jack Wilshere, a former Arsenal superkid himself, described Saka this week. Arsenal‘s U18 coach declaring Saka the ultimate role-model for his FA Youth Cup finalists. But this isn’t about Saka’s approach or personality. It’s about football and money – and how it dulls the best ’em.
No-one at Barcelona would consider paying Pedri or Gavi such a salary. And to be fair, knowing the people around both players, they wouldn’t be demanding such. Indeed Gavi, now deregistered as a first teamer due to Barca’s financial row with LaLiga, is willing to play for next to nothing while the club sort out this mess. And for all speculation around the situation, the player’s agents have made it clear the priority for Gavi and (significantly) them is a contract with Barca. And it’ll be a contract which will fit inside the LaLiga wage cap.
The riches can come later – which is the same mantra as Barca management. Need to know why so much talent from La Masia is tempted away to England? It’s that policy of not paying too much too soon. And for all those youth teamers who took the foreign contract over Barca’s advice, you can count on one hand those whom actually fulfilled their potential.
For this column, Arsenal are doing Saka no favours by caving into his demands. Of course, you can understand the board’s concern. A new era. On the verge of a first Premier League title in a generation. Arsenal don’t want to be reverting to the days of Arsene Wenger and losing their best players to direct rivals.
But the strength of this team – with an emphasis on team – should be a bargaining chip. Saka has had influence on Arsenal‘s run to the Prem summit. A big influence. But remove him from this XI and you do fancy Arsenal – just as they did with Gabriel Jesus – wouldn’t stumble. Indeed, would the place skip a beat if Saka was to leave and be replaced by a Kvaratskhelia or a Leroy Sane?
Maybe for a 25, 26 year-old Saka. Established. Experienced. Playing – and being paid – on reputation, not potential. You could argue he’d be worth busting the bank to keep. But on promise? On hope? All of which you’re gambling with by making things so much easier for him, coupled with the irony of increased scrutiny and demands? And at 21? If after over a decade of highs and lows in the game, both Auba and Ozil found it all too much, why are those connected to the Saka negotiations so convinced it won’t be the same?
At this stage in his career, Saka needs to be protected. He needs to be kept hungry. And to be allowed to develop his game without the pressure of being Arsenal‘s highest paid player. This £300,000-a-week deal – should it go through – would be a mistake. Arsenal would do well to highlight this to Saka and his minders.
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