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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.
Following the appointment of Unai Emery last year, one of the big questions surrounded whether he could tap into the club’s abundance of youth prospects. Without sounding too hyperbolic, the sheer number and, importantly, quality of talent coming through at Arsenal raises excited talk of an emerging ‘golden generation’.
There is a chance for the Gunners to head into the next few years with more than half of their first-team being built around players who have been developed in the academy system.
Names like Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, amongst others, have had their chances to shine under both Arsene Wenger and Emery, but one teenager who is quickly over-taking them all as the club’s most exciting prospect is Bukayo Saka.
The 18-year-old has really put himself on the big stage after scoring his first senior goal for the club away at last season’s Europa League semi-finalists Eintracht Frankfurt, before becoming the club’s third-youngest Premier League starter against Aston Villa just days later.
But according to these three men who know him better than most, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what he can achieve.
Per Mertesacker – Head of Academy
Since transitioning from FA Cup-winning captain to the head of Arsenal’s academy, the big German has made his presence felt. At a time when modern footballers appear to be focusing on their off-the-pitch activities, the 34-year-old’s refreshingly old-school approach should pay dividends for some of Arsenal’s brightest prospects – not least of which Saka.
And based off his comments, he knows keeping the 18-year-old humble will be vital for his chances of making it to the top.
Freddie Ljungberg – First-team Coach
An Arsenal legend for his glorious time with the Invincibles, Ljungberg’s original spell as the manager of the U23s has made him an important figure in the Gunners’ back-room set-up. The Swede was promoted to the role of first-team coach earlier this year, and many of the club’s youngsters have publicly come out to hail his influence on smoothing the transition into the senior side. Saka, in particular, appeared to catch the eye of Ljungberg, and the latter has tipped him for big things.
Unai Emery – Manager
Undoubtedly the most important individual of the three, it will be up to Emery to ensure he makes the best out of the teenager’s considerable talent. Arsenal have already lost one talented youngster in Xavier Amaechi earlier this summer after the winger felt he couldn’t see a quick enough path into the first-team, and so the Gunners must prove they have learned their lesson.
Judging by what their Spanish boss has said, however, that should not be a concern.
Verdict
After scoring seven goals in the Bundesliga whilst on loan at Hoffenheim last season, naturally, the big talk at the Emirates was about how Nelson was going to steal the show. The England U21 international had built up valuable experience playing first-team football, and was learning under highly-rated manager Julian Nagelsmann. What the winger probably didn’t account for is Saka bursting ahead of him in the pecking order.
The latter rewarded Emery’s faith in the clash against Frankfurt, scoring a sublime long-range effort, before teeing up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the Gabon international’s customary goal. It was a performance brimming with huge potential, but his ability to handle the occasion and the raucous German atmosphere spoke volumes about the size of his potential; he may better placed than Nelson to embrace the pressure of playing in high-intensity games.
Against Villa, Saka was desperately unlucky to be the man the Gunners boss sacrificed in order to restore a sense of order following Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ sending off. The teenager looked lively in the 45 minutes he was on the pitch, and looked at home on the left-flank.
Nelson and Smith Rowe may have been seen as the torch-bearers of Arsenal’s crop of talented youngsters.
There can be no doubting now, however, that Saka has well and truly taken that mantle.