Former Arsenal defender William Gallas has confirmed that qualification for the Champions League could be key to keeping Bukayo Saka and other sought-after players at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners are currently firmly in the mix to earn a place back at Europe’s top table next season, currently sitting sixth in the Premier League.
It of course remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta’s men will be successful in their pursuit of their targets between now and the end of the campaign but Gallas has been left under no illusions as to how key qualifying for the competition could be in keeping the club’s star men at the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking with bet365, he said: “The Champions League is the best competition to play in, hearing that music and dreaming about lifting that trophy.
“All players dream about playing in and winning the Champions League, so it’s very important for Arsenal to be there next season.
“If they want to keep the best players in their team and attract the best from around the world, then they need to be in the Champions League or certainly from Arsenal’s point of view, back playing European football.”
The Gunners have of course not played in Europe’s premier competition since the 2016/17 campaign.
Intriguingly, Saka’s future could well be in doubt should Arsenal fail to achieve their targets. Reports have suggested that Manchester City are monitoring his future and could be tempted into making a move should the Gunners finish outside of the top four.
The Hale End graduate has previously hailed the Champions League and expressed his intentions on playing in the competition at some point in his career.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I think the Champions League creates so many special nights and it's a dream for me still to experience one of them and hopefully many more of them.”
