Saka joins WhatsApp as global brand partner
Elite Project Group have announced a new partnership naming Bukayo Saka as a global brand partner for WhatsApp.
The agency confirmed the deal on Instagram, writing that it was delighted to announce “Bukayo Saka x WhatsApp” as the Arsenal and England star adds another major global brand to his commercial portfolio.
This is not just another sponsorship post. It is a reminder that modern football representation is about far more than transfers and contract renewals. Agencies now manage the full commercial identity of elite players: brand fit, image rights, campaign structure, social reach, messaging and long-term reputation.
For Saka, the WhatsApp deal fits his profile perfectly: global, youth-facing, communication-led and connected to fan culture.
Elite Project Group’s commercial role matters
Saka is represented by Elite Project Group, the UK-based agency that has been part of his career since his youth development.
FootballAgencies lists EPG as a full-service football agency focused on elite talent, with a roster including Saka, Jadon Sancho, Alex Iwobi, Destiny Udogie, Roméo Lavia, Jamie Gittens, Folarin Balogun and others.
The phrase “full-service” matters here. EPG are not only negotiating salary, transfer clauses or renewal terms. They are also protecting and building Saka’s off-pitch value.
The WhatsApp partnership shows that clearly. This is brand management at the highest level.
Agencies now build careers off the pitch
Football agencies used to be judged mainly by transfers.
That has changed.
For elite players, commercial partnerships are now central to career value. A top player’s agency must understand not only clubs and contracts, but also brands, media, content, audience data, social platforms, global campaigns and public positioning.
A deal like Saka x WhatsApp requires careful alignment. The brand has to fit the player’s personality. The campaign has to feel credible. The partnership must protect the player’s image rather than overload it.
That is where agencies make a difference.
They help decide which brands to accept, which campaigns to reject, how to balance club commitments, how to protect authenticity and how to create long-term value beyond football income.
Saka’s marketability keeps growing
Saka is one of the most marketable players in English football.
He is 24, plays for Arsenal, starts for England, has Champions League exposure and carries a strong public image built around humility, consistency and elite performance. That combination makes him attractive to global brands.
His commercial portfolio has already included major partnerships, including New Balance and TCL. WhatsApp now adds another global technology and communication brand to that list.
The timing is strong. Saka recently signed a new long-term Arsenal contract until 2031, confirming his status as one of the club’s most important players. FootballAgencies covered that renewal earlier this year, noting EPG’s role in securing his next major Arsenal cycle.
Now the off-pitch side is growing too.
The current season keeps the brand strong
Saka’s commercial strength is backed by performance.
This season, public data has him with more than 30 Arsenal appearances across competitions, with around eight goals in the Premier League and further Champions League impact. He remains one of Mikel Arteta’s most important attacking players, a regular England figure and one of Arsenal’s clearest global faces.
That consistency is why brands trust him.
Saka is not a flash-in-the-pan player. He has been a first-team Arsenal regular since his teenage years, has played at the highest international level and remains one of the club’s most reliable performers in major games.
For a brand like WhatsApp, that stability matters as much as star power.
WhatsApp gets a player with global emotional reach
WhatsApp is not only a technology product. It is part of how fans, families, communities and teams communicate every day.
That makes Saka a natural fit. His public image is built around connection: Arsenal academy graduate, England international, family-centred personality, humble star and player with huge fan affection.
The best athlete-brand partnerships are not random. They work when the brand’s message and the player’s image feel aligned.
Saka and WhatsApp can sit in that space. Communication, closeness, community and global reach are all part of the story.
Marketing is now part of agency competition
For FootballAgencies readers, this is the key point: commercial deals like this are now part of agency competition.
An agency that can only negotiate transfers is limited. The best agencies now need departments or trusted partners for sponsorship, brand campaigns, digital strategy, content creation, image rights and long-term personal positioning.
Elite Project Group’s work with Saka shows that clearly. The agency has helped manage his rise from academy prospect to Arsenal superstar, long-term contract client and global brand partner.
That is modern representation.
The player earns on the pitch. The agency builds value around everything else.
Another EPG statement around Saka
The WhatsApp deal strengthens Saka’s position as one of the leading commercial athletes in English football.
For Elite Project Group, it is another high-profile moment around their flagship client. After the Arsenal contract extension, the WhatsApp partnership shows the other side of the same career plan: secure the football future, then grow the global brand carefully.
That balance is what top agencies are now expected to deliver.
Bukayo Saka remains Arsenal’s starboy on the pitch. With WhatsApp, he is now also a global communication brand partner off it.
