_**Bukayo Saka \[Pedro-Soares/SPP\]**_
ARSENAL fans will be thrilled by reports this week that the club is set to open formal talks with Bukayo Saka over a new contract.
The winger contributed nine goals and 13 assists in 24 matches in all competitions this season before being sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The 23-year-old suffered a serious tear during the Gunners’ 5-1 win over Crystal Palace in December and subsequently required an operation.
But Mikel Arteta has revealed that the wait is almost over – and that there’s a “good chance” Saka will finally return to action after the international break.
Arsenal welcome Fulham to the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Tuesday, April 1, before travelling to Everton four days later. Then comes the home leg of their titanic tussle with Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, on April 8.
Offering an update on Saka’s fitness, Arteta said: “He is going to be here \[at the Arsenal training ground\], hopefully more with the ball at his feet than he has had. That will mean he is passing the ball and shooting and running and everything. He has done quite a lot already on the pitch working on his own.
“Next we need to arrange it with people around him in a more competitive training session and see how he goes with that.
“He’s getting closer, he’s stepping up and making very good progress, I would say. So let’s see when we start to throw him in with the team how he reacts and how fit he can get quickly.”
Saka’s lengthy layoff has only highlighted further just how important the England international is to Arteta’s team. So it’s of little surprise that the club are preparing to meet the player’s representatives to discuss a contract extension. Saka’s current deal runs until the summer of 2027.
In other news, Myles Lewis-Skelly said he is “buzzing” after receiving his first call-up to the England senior squad ahead of the Three Lions’ 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Albania, tomorrow (Friday) and Latvia, on Monday, at Wembley.
The 18-year-old told Arsenal’s website: “Honesty I was elated, just shouting around my house! Obviously I’m excited for what’s coming up, but you’ve always got to stay locked in on the present and not get too attached to the feeling that’s coming later down the line.”
Arteta also boasted a big smile as he talked about Lewis-Skelly’s pending England senior debut. He said: “Very proud of him. It’s a huge moment for him and for the club as well. One of our graduates getting the call for England, it’s a massive thing.”