BUKAYO Saka says he can’t wait for Arsenal’s midweek Champions League fixtures to kick in next season as a young, “hungry” squad prepares to dine at European football’s top table.

As if planned, the disappointment surrounding the Gunners failed, albeit unexpected, title charge was quickly eclipsed this week when news broke that Saka had signed a new long-term contract – thought to be a four-year deal that will run until the summer of 2027.

It sees the 21-year-old winger follow in the footsteps of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel Martinelli in penning new deals in recent weeks. The club are also said to be working on improved contracts for captain Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and Reiss Nelson.

That stability will give fans a timely boast ahead of Arsenal’s final game of the season this Sunday when they end their Premier League campaign against Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. And while one campaign prepares to come to a close, Saka says he can’t wait to be back playing in front of “passionate” Gooners again – something he wants to do for many more years to come.

“The fans have been so crazy, they’ve been so good this year,” the Hale End product told Arsenal’s official website.

“Even when I see them out, we have so much in common in terms of how passionate we are for this team. Sometimes I feel like some of these fans can play the game, that’s how passionate they are.

“They would give everything; I can see it in their eyes when they’re speaking to me. It’s really nice to see that. I feel like we are all really connecting with the fans more, and you can feel it in the stadium as well.”

Looking ahead to next season, Saka added: “I have seen a lot of change. I’ve seen this team and the club grow, and one thing that everyone around us can be excited about is that we are going in the right direction.

“Time is on our side. You can look at our team and a lot of the players are young. We’re hungry, and a lot of us haven’t won trophies at Arsenal so we want to achieve big things. If you watch the way we all speak, we want to win and we want to win here.

“It’s been too long since this club has had Champions League football. I’m really looking forward to Tuesday and Wednesday nights in this stadium – the atmosphere is going to be special.”

Arsenal fans will now be keeping a close eye on who will be joining Saka at the Emirates this summer. New names hitting the rumour mill include Torino striker Antonio Sanabria, Leicester midfielder James Maddison, and even a surprise move for Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan.