How Arsenal are stopping Saka from being 'world class'

Suraj Radia

• 15 Feb 2024 12:38 CST
• 4 min read

Rio Ferdinand has risked the wrath of Arsenal supporters after claiming that Bukayo Saka is ‘not yet’ world class, despite insisting the forward has been ‘unreal’ for his club.

Saka netted his 50th and 51st goals for Arsenal in his most recent appearance against West Ham, becoming the youngest player to achieve the feat in the last 50 years for the Gunners.

The 22-year-old has also already played more than 200 games for the club in his short career, with only three Arsenal players reaching that figure at a younger age.

But Ferdinand believes Saka may be playing too many games at his age and questioned whether the England international was truly ‘world class’, having not ‘done it in the nitty-gritty stages’ of the Champions League.

When asked on his Vibe with FIVE podcast whether he would label Saka as world-class, Ferdinand said: “Not yet. Listen, I think Saka's been unreal. I actually think he needs a bit of a rest, so many games for a young kid.

“But I think, it's almost like what is world-class? He hasn't done it in the Champions League, has he? I'm talking in the nitty-gritty stages,” he added. “Saka's top, don't get me wrong. He's not world-class yet.”

— ManCityzens (@ManCityzenscom) February 14, 2024

Saka is currently in his fifth full season in Arsenal’s first team but, despite being named player of the year for both club and country twice, he has won just one FA Cup and two Community Shield trophies in his career so far.

This year also marks the first time Saka has played in the Champions League but he had only scored five goals in 22 Europa League games prior to this year, while Arsenal are still yet to prove their credentials at the highest continental level.

Although Arsenal have a chance to silence any critics by winning a Premier League title this season or continuing to progress in the Champions League knockout rounds, Saka’s trophy record is still yet to match those of similarly-aged players such as Phil Foden or Vinicius Junior.

Both Foden and Vini Jr have a Champions League trophy and multiple league titles to their name and, while some may point to their presence on stronger teams compared to Arsenal, the lack of silverware to Saka’s name is ultimately something that sets him apart from his compatriots.

Perhaps Ferdinand’s most valid point, however, was the notion that Saka has played ‘so many games’, having missed just one Premier League game since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Mikel Arteta’s reliance on Saka has helped develop him into one of the best talents on the planet but the he could end up paying the cost in the future, with the injury history of former young Gunners Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere serving as a warning to the effects of too much gametime at a tender age.

Whether Saka is ‘world class’ is open to interpretation, however he is undoubtedly an elite talent but the pressure could be on Arsenal to match the pedigree of the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid, or risk seeing their star man consider alternative options…providing he hasn’t burned out in the process.

Read more about: Premier League, Arsenal, Man City, Real Madrid, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Vinicius Junior