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Bukayo Saka's contract extension proves Arsenal are the world's best
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Bukayo Saka’s freshly signed five-year contract extension brings the player a big step toward becoming an increasingly rare one-club man, and it puts the club closer to accomplishing its goals.
More importantly, the move signals perfect alignment from the top of the club all the way down to the players, solidifying Arsenal as arguably the world's best team.
Securing Saka and William Saliba to long-term extensions this season has proven that the club’s stars buy into Mikel Arteta’s plan, and that the club can hold onto its world-class talent. Long gone are the days when Arsenal's best players eventually felt too big for the club, or chased paydays at Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, or Barcelona.
Current ETV
Bukayo Saka
F (R)
Arsenal
Bukayo Saka
F (R)
Arsenal
ETV Range
€77.6M - €129.3M
Arsenal appeared on the decline toward the end of Arsene Wenger’s tenure and throughout Unai Emery’s years at the helm. The club missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League each year from 2016/17 through 2021/22. The Gunners had been living on borrowed time for a while, as Wenger worked miracles to keep them in the Champions League after selling the likes of Ashley Cole, Samir Nasri, Alex Song, and Robin van Persie to pay off the debt incurred by Emirates Stadium.
The low point was two consecutive eighth-placed finishes, the second of which was in Arteta’s first full season, 2020/21. But, compared to the previous season, Arsenal won four more matches, five more points, and doubled their goal differential.
The Gunners finished fifth in Arteta’s second full season before beginning their streak of three second-placed finishes in the last three seasons.
Arsenal’s resurgence has truly been a team effort.
Preserving the Arsenal DNA sparks post-Wenger resurgence
Bringing in Edu Gaspar to clean up the disaster that was Raul Sanllehi’s tenure as director of football proved to be an inspired decision, as did the hiring of Arteta to manage the team.
Academy director Per Mertesacker has executed his role to perfection. Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, and Folarin Balogun were all promoted to the first team, with the latter three eventually being sold for hefty transfer fees.
Not only did each of Gaspar, Arteta, and Mertesacker have long tenures with the club as players, but they were also more than capable in their positions off the pitch. All too often, ex-players are rushed into roles beyond their depth because they have “club DNA,” such as when Frank Lampard lasted 18 months as Chelsea’s boss between 2019-2021.
Gaspar departed in early 2025, so Arsenal hired former Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta as his replacement.
Berta picked up where Gaspar left off, and his first summer transfer window has proven to be a success. Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, and Piero Hincapie have exceeded expectations, while Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke have all flashed their skills in key moments despite not yet finding consistency.
STATS
Martín Zubimendi
DM, M (C)
Arsenal
Martín Zubimendi
DM, M (C)
Arsenal
The near €300 million outlay would not have been possible without the men at the top bankrolling it.
The Josh Kroenke effect
Arsenal’s fortunes have improved since Josh Kroenke — son of owner Stan Kroenke — took on a more visible role after taking full control of the club in 2018.
The younger Kroenke appears to be the de-facto leader of the entire Kroenke Sports and Entertainment portfolio, as he appears more often than his father around Arsenal and the American franchises owned by the family, which include the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
Since 2021, all three of KSE’s major American sports teams won their league’s championship. The Rams won the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, the Avalanche won the NHL’s Stanley Cup in the 2021/22 season, and the Nuggets won the NBA Finals in the 2022/23 season.
Josh Kroenke has an athletic background. He earned a full scholarship to play basketball at the University of Missouri, where he played under head coach Quin Snyder, who now leads the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
Clearly, what the Kroenke heir, now 45 years old, learned while playing high-level college basketball and watching his father’s business career has translated into success for KSE’s American teams.
Now, he appears to be fully focused on adding silverware to Arsenal’s trophy cabinet.
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