Bukayo Saka threat grows for Arsenal as Man City 'ramp up' transfer interest

Premier League champions Manchester City are increasing their efforts to sign Arsenal star Bukayo Saka..

Pep Guardiola's side are now keeping a close eye on developments with Saka and his Gunners contract, with just two years left to run on his current deal, reports Sportsmail. It is thought that one of the priorities this summer from the Gunners' club hierarchy is to tie down Saka's long-term future to the Emirates.

City are not the only Premier League giants interested in prying Saka away from North London, with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool also keen admirers of the 20-year-old. However, while it is important to note that any move in the upcoming summer transfer window would appear extremely unlikely, that simply buys Arsenal time, with the Gunners knowing all too well that if they fail to agree a new deal soon, the threat of a cut-price exit in 2023, or a free transfer in 2024, grows and grows.

The England international's current contract contains an option year, meaning if Arsenal activate it - as they almost certainly will - then Saka is signed to the club until the summer of 2024. The desire to offer him a new and improved contract with significantly higher wages is strong among Arsenal officials, who recognise Saka's growing importance to the team.

At this point in time, Arsenal could command a huge fee for Saka were any club to attempt to take him this summer. And with Arsenal unwilling to sell right now, it would likely be in excess of £100million.

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It helps the Gunners that both City and Liverpool have more pressing areas in their own squad they wish to address before they can begin to mount a serious pursuit of Saka. Having already secured Erling Haaland, Guardiola is now keen on finding a midfielder to fill the void left by club legend Fernandinho.

It's a similar situation for Liverpool, whose priorities seem to lie with bolstering their central midfield options. That could change if either Mohamed Salah or, more particularly, Sadio Mane depart.

The CIES football observatory recently reported that Saka is the 15th most valuable football on the planet, with an estimated worth of £85million. Arsenal supporters would likely argue he's worth far more.