MY ACCOUNT
Despite his tender age, Bukayo Saka has already developed into a crucial player for both club and country.
The winger, 21, has been an instrumental figure in Arsenal’s unlikely Premier League title bid this season, scoring 12 goals and assisting ten more to date.
Then for England, the youngster followed a fruitful World Cup with two fine performances his nation’s first set of qualifiers for Euro 2024.
Ahead of Arsenal’s important home match with Leeds on Saturday, we turn the spotlight on Saka and look at what the future holds for the talented starlet.
Undroppable
After featuring in a hard-fought 2-1 victory away to Italy, Saka was the star of the show during England’s return to Wembley against Ukraine.
Setting up Harry Kane for the opener in last Sunday’s comfortable 2-0 win, he later bagged a stunner of his own when curling the ball into the top corner from 25 yards out.
The glorious strike was his eighth goal in 26 international appearances.
Only four players in English history — Dixie Dean, Jimmy Greaves, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney — have scored more goals for the Three Lions at Saka’s current age of 21 years and 206 days.
That is some serious company to be keeping and the stats suggest that his influence on the national team is still growing.
In his last 16 games for England, Saka has been involved in ten goals, scoring seven and assisting three.
In an era awash with talented English wide players, the Arsenal star has become undroppable.
Club progress
Saka’s influence at club level is also showing signs of growth.
With 11 games of the Premier League campaign remaining, he has already surpassed last season’s tallies of 11 goals and seven assists.
His talent and industry have been apparent since his teenage years, with the only serious question mark against his name being whether his end product would become reliable enough.
That question has been answered and replaced with a new one. Exactly how productive is Saka going to end up being?
Only the equally prodigious Gabriel Martinelli has outscored him for Arsenal this season with 13 Premier League goals — but the Brazilian has only provided two assists in comparison to Saka’s 10.
There would seem the potential for Saka to grow into the sort of player that could have an influence akin to Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.
That is an exciting prospect for both Arsenal and England.
Toure advice
A couple of years ago it seemed likely that Saka might end up at a club like Liverpool or Manchester City, who could seemingly provide a more realistic chance of trophies than Arsenal.
But the winger’s progress has coincided with similar leaps forward by his team. The Gunners are now able to match the ambitions of their best players.
Saka’s contract runs out in 2024 and ex-Arsenal defender Kolo Toure has implored the club to tie him down for a decade.
Toure said: “My advice to Arsenal is for Bukayo Saka to sign for ten years.
“One mistake that Arsenal made down the years, they had key players that loved the club and they let them go.
“You must keep those players because these players are the players that are going to lead the team for you.
“These are the players you can rely on. These are the players that when it’s tough they will put their bodies on the line because they love the club.”
Saka’s agent might balk at a ten-year contract, but this is a player who clearly loves starring for Arsenal and England.
