"Give him 100 grand a week" - Paul Merson urges Arsenal to secure future of forward

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has called for the Gunners to tie down Bukayo Saka to a new contract as soon as possible.

Following the circumstances surrounding the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Merson believes that the Gunners cannot afford to lose a player of Saka's caliber. He told Sky Sports:

"My biggest worry now is what you read about Saka. As soon as Aubameyang went, they should have gone to Saka and said, ‘Here’s another £50,000-a-week on your wages. Here’s a four/five year contract’. Please don’t get into this again, Arsenal. Give him a contract now. Give him 100 grand a week. He deserves it. He is top-drawer.”

Saka's current deal at the club runs until the end of the 2023-24 season. Despite being one of the top budding talents in the Premier League, Saka's wages are not at par with other top players. The forward has been rumored to be the subject of interest from Liverpool as per the Mirror. It is imperative that the Gunners tie him down to a new long-term contract.

"I think Arsenal was always the one I wanted to go to" - Saka on joining the Gunners as a youngster

Saka in action for the Gunners

Saka joined the Gunners when he was eight years old but the forward also had the option to join the likes of Chelsea, Watford and Tottenham as a youngster.

Speaking to Sky Sports, however, the Englishman revealed that he only wanted to join the Gunners because of his father and Arsene Wenger. He explained:

"I think Arsenal was always the one I wanted to go to. It seemed like they had a lot of faith in their youth and there was a clear pathway when you could see the players coming up from Hale End to London Colney and my dad also really believed in the project and he loved Arsene Wenger. I think Arsenal was the club in the hearts of my family, so we chose them."

"I think from the moment you sign, the education at Hale End, you start to know the history of Arsenal. You know which games are the most important. We obviously knew the derby and the rivalry with Tottenham. So I'd say from the point I signed, the coaches made it known before every game against Tottenham how much it means and there was always extra excitement around that game."

Saka has been one of the Gunners' standout players this season. The forward has scored seven goals and provided four assists in 27 appearances across all competitions this campaign.