Ray Parlour says he’s ‘more worried’ about Arsenal ace’s future than Aubameyang’s

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Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka has been linked with Liverpool.

Ray Parlour has claimed that he is ‘more worried’ about Liverpool-linked Bukayo Saka’s future than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s, as the Arsenal legend told Alan Brazil’s Sports Breakfast Show (25/02/20 at 6:55 am).

Saka is out of contract at Arsenal next summer and Parlour has seemingly suggested that the Gunners should follow what Liverpool do, which is tie down their young players to long-term deals.

Ironically enough, Saka has been rumoured to be attracting interest from Liverpool, as the Daily Mail claimed that Arsenal are looking to fend off interest for the 18-year-old’s signature. 

In what has been a pretty bleak season for Arsenal, Saka has been a bright spark and Parlour is keen for the highly-rated teenager to stay at the Emirates. 

“I’d be more worried about Saka’s [future than Aubameyang’s] because he has only got 18 months left on his contract,” Parlour told TalkSport.

“He is a very important player. You have to get him on a long-term contract. Five or six years.

“That’s what Liverpool do. They go, ‘right this squad we have got, let’s put more than five-year contracts, six-year contracts’. Imagine Trent Alexander-Arnold, at this moment, he is playing for Liverpool and I am sure he’ loving every minute of it.

“But you have to sign them up as long as you can when they are that young and try to keep them at the club for as long as you can.”

Saka is a winger by trade but because of Arsenal’s left-back issues – mainly because of injuries – it has seen him given a regular chance in that position. 

And not many would have predicted him to produce the performances he has been showcasing. His ability to beat a man and put in a pin-point cross has been exceptional. 

Arsenal have a bad habit of not penning down their first-team players to long-term deals – Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey from the past. And now, The Daily Mail have claimed that Aubameyang could leave in the summer, rather than the club losing him on a free in 2021.