Arsenal told to pay Bukayo Saka 'whatever it takes' as £84m Kylian Mbappe bonus precedent set

Bukayo Saka has been a revelation since graduating from Arsenal’s Hale End academy in 2019, to the point where he is now viewed as one of the club's most valuable assets.

understands that the Gunners have made extending the current contract of the youngster a major priority ahead of the summer transfer window.

The doubt remains, however, over whether or not Arsenal will be able to convince Saka to commit his future to the club if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe is also in the midst of contract negotiations with Paris-Saint Germain and according to French outlet Le Parisien, the Ligue 1 side have offered the Frenchman a blockbuster contract with a signing-on bonus of £84 million.

With the Gunners looking to tie Saka down to a new deal, look at what they would do with the Englishman’s contract situation and whether they would follow PSG’s Mbappe model.

There is little argument from me that Mbappe is of equal importance to PSG as Saka is to Arsenal. Mbappe is certainly the superior footballer at present however the impact of both clubs allowing their young talismans to leave would be mirrored.

Both players represent the future of their side’s respective ambitions. Arsenal and PSG both need to ensure they can convince their best players to stay but this is where the two should differ regarding the financial incentive given to those players.

I can understand PSG offering a €100m (£84m) signing-on bonus plus a wage suggested to be around £1m per week across the next two seasons, not only to keep him but to ensure any club wanting him next season would need to pay. The goal is to win the Champions League and losing Mbappe not only weakens the French giants but also strengthens a club that