It's rare to see a young player break through just as a £72 million signing arrives in his preferred position—let alone outshine the big-money recruit and reach world-class status. Yet, that's exactly what Saka has done over the past six years.
When you think about it, very few young players would even get the chance, especially in an era where they are often seen as expendable, while their peers with hefty price tags are given priority.
The Saka Evolution
From his earliest games with the first team, it was obvious that he wasn’t just talented; he was special. No matter the position on the pitch he played in, he delivered consistently great performances and showed that neither position nor role could hold him back.
Of course, versatility is a trap every young player tries to avoid, so it is a good thing his manager finally stuck him in his best position and allowed him to develop completely there.
That faith has produced one of the best players in the world, a player widely regarded as top 3 in his position. In hindsight, maybe Arsenal never needed to splash the money on a big money signing, because they had rice at home. They just didn’t know. Not Declan, of course. That’s the Rice they had to spend big on.
Over in Spain, specifically at Real Madrid, another youngster usurped a €100m star, a bigger player than the one Saka displaced. But the youngster himself had been signed for €40m in his teenage years from Brazil.
The player in question, Vini Jr, has gone on to help his club win two UEFA Champions League titles – with goals in the Champions League final twice – and the FIFA The Best award, but question marks still hang over his head because of his dire performances for his country. Not Saka though. The Englishman of Nigerian descent has produced everywhere, club or country, regardless of system, conditions or limitations.
At 23, he has already been named England Player of the Year twice, producing excellent performances in two major tournaments.
These came on the back of him missing a decisive penalty at just 19, which cost England the European Championships trophy in 2021 on home soil. If that doesn’t tell you about Saka’s mental fortitude and resilience, nothing else will. This is why many are starting to regard him as the gold standard for youngsters in this era. Is he already or does he need to do more? Let’s talk about it.
Why Saka?
Many will argue that Kylian Mbappe is in fact the standard for youngsters, but in reality, expecting youngsters to be Mbappe is exactly why there is so little patience for them in today’s world.
Influential in a league title winning campaign over the overwhelming favourites at 17/18? Influential in a World Cup win while scoring in the final at 19? Commanding a 160m transfer as a teenager? These aren’t things that every youngster can aspire to.
Most won’t even play in a World Cup final in their careers or get to have all-timer careers by 23, even if they are special. Those expectations of youngsters aren’t normal and never have been. The Mbappes and Messis are outliers.
In contrast, Saka’s trajectory is more relatable, more achievable and dare I say, easier to emulate. While he is well on his way to becoming a football great and one of the greatest players the Premier League has ever seen, there are so many lessons that any youngster can pick up from his trajectory.
The first thing to note is how grounded he was as he emerged, with a skillset that allowed him to operate and deliver anywhere on the pitch.
One could see his unique qualities which were useful for his natural role but also how he had the basics that any footballer ought to have. Further to that, he showed an excellent ability to interpret roles and master the requirements of each. The advantage that ability gives will take any youngster to unprecedented heights.
Like Saka, many youngsters will not come up in ideal environments or conditions or have the advantages that have allowed some of the outliers to develop properly.
He has had to grow in crises every step of the way, in an environment where things went from bad to worse, with immense pressure from fans that took toxicity mainstream and with the club going through its worst form.
With England, he had to bounce back from that costly penalty miss that sparked racist abuse. Yet, he soldiered on, took on those challenges and kept growing.
It has not all been rosy, but Bukayo has shown that with resilience, anything is possible. He must already know that there is more to still achieve, but at just 23, he has done enough to be the guy many youngsters look to emulate. The more he does, the more apparent that will be.
His Influence
As good as Saka has been and now is, he still has many detractors. Some are driven by sheer football tribalism, the need to put down a rival player and never acknowledge his excellence no matter what.
There is a dishonesty in that which is easy to see, and it is even more glaring when the time comes for comparison because Saka’s name just always comes up. Many find it impossible to praise an emerging player without using Saka as a yardstick, especially if said player is left-footed.
Cole Palmer comes to mind here. Since his emergence, every great thing he does leads to Saka comparisons. He is currently in the race for the Golden Boot. And if he pulls it off, you can rest assured that Saka’s name will come up. Interestingly, Palmer is in the race with two other left footers; Erling Haaland and Mo Salah.
● Bet on Cole Palmer to win the Golden Boot @ 18 Odds
● Bet on Erling Haaland to win the Golden Boot @ 1.88 Odds
● Bet on Mohamed Salah to win the Golden Boot @ 2.10 Odds
While intending to mean it as a form of derision, they end up complimenting the Hale End product without realising it. If everyone keeps getting compared to you everytime they do something, then it follows that you are the standard that even your detractors look to.
Best in the World Shouts?
The truth is, Saka is simply one of the best players in the world and everybody knows it. The eye test supports it, the data also supports it. Arsenal fans no longer fear those Champions League fixtures, and he is a big reason for that.
They carry their own threat through him and teams around Europe actively gameplan to (try and) stop him. The condescension he sometimes receives is perhaps because he didn’t emerge with a price tag and the hype typically prevalent in England.
If anything, it still feels like he is widely underrated. Not for long though, as he has shown the ease with which he can turn detractors into fans over the years. As he continues to elevate his game, that is certain to happen.
His Betting Impact
We did an article in December about betting on the Over 2.5 market and identifying the players who make it more likely when they are on the pitch. Saka was one of the players featured and it’s easy to see why.
His start to the season, before injury hit, was simply electric. In the Premier League, he produced 6 goals, 10 assists and 19 big chances created in 16 games. In the UEFA Champions League, he produced 4 goals, 2 assists and 2 big chances created in 5 games. Whether through set pieces or in open play, Saka creates danger easily and he is the driver of any big win prediction involving Arsenal.
The Gunners have relied heavily on him to create and his absence has been felt badly. When he returns, expect more of the same.
On any given day, if you see him on the team sheet ahead of a game, you can put your money on options like Saka to score, Saka to Assist, Saka shots on target, Arsenal to win and Over 2.5 goals. If you have these options on your Bet Builder, you can bank on him to deliver on most occasions.
Over the next few months, the best betting site in Nigeria will provide several interesting Premier League outrights to bet on.
Arsenal have finished 2nd in both of the last two seasons and have strong title ambitions this season. With their usual rivals, Manchester City, faltering, they are under pressure to not lose out to Liverpool this year.
If they can stay within touching distance of current league leaders, Liverpool over the next few month, Saka’s return could be key to swinging the destination of the title.
● Bet on Arsenal to win the Premier League @ 5.50 Odds
● Bet on Arsenal to finish top 2 @ 1.28 Odds
● Bet on Liverpool to win the Premier League @ 1.22 Odds
Whenever Saka does return from injury – reports indicate it will be very soon – make sure you get to deposit your betting stake, load a booking code and put your money on him.
Whatever markets his influence covers will be a goldmine you can tap into. If you will have just one bet of the day, let it be on him, and you don’t even need to be a bet wizard to know this.
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