Arsenal may find it difficult to persuade Bukayo Saka to sign a long-term contract.

If Arsenal fails to qualify for the Champions League, they would face a battle to finish their priority squad business, which includes signing Bukayo Saka to a new contract.

The Gunners are planning a summer recruitment drive, with Mikel Arteta targeting two new attackers, a center midfielder, and a right-back. At the Emirates Stadium, it is believed that signing Saka to a new long-term contract has also been prioritized.

However, there are growing concerns that the squad’s ability to improve with their chosen alternatives will be contingent on which European competition they compete in next season.

In terms of Saka, there is concern that extending the England international’s current contract, which runs in 2024, will be far more difficult if Arsenal fails to finish in the top four once more.

Saka is widely regarded as one of the best young footballers in the world, with clubs across Africa keeping a close eye on his progress. The 20-year-old has already been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United.

To bring him in line with the club’s greatest earners, Arsenal will offer Saka a significant salary boost on his current contract, which is said to be in the region of £35,000 per week. When it comes to signing his next playing deal, though, money will not be the deciding factor.

Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham, all 21, have extensive Champions League experience, while Saka, who is the same age, has yet to participate in Europe’s top club competition.

Allowing Saka to enter the final two years of his contract might put the Gunners in jeopardy, something they desperately want to avoid. Their chances of persuading the teenager to sign a new long-term contract will be aided by the prospect of playing in the Champions League next season.

Meanwhile, there is growing doubt about whether striker target Alexander Isak would be willing to sign with the club if they did not play in the Champions League next season.

Arsenal has not competed in the Champions League since 2017. With a game in hand, they are now two points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.