Speaking in the latest copy of FourFourTwo magazine (May 2022 edition, page 30), Robert Pires has been speaking about Bukayo Saka.
The French legend’s famous number 7 shirt has been inherited by the young Englishman, and it’s fair to say that Saka is living up to the weighty expectations of wearing such a famous number.
Indeed, the winger has arguably been Arsenal’s best player this season at the age of just 20, and Pires says he’s not at all surprised to see the youngster doing so well.
What’s been said?
Pires was full of praise for Saka.
“We’ve all seen his quality. I’m not surprised by his career. I’m in contact with him and we chat from time to time. He asks me for advice, and he’s a very intelligent boy. Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli… they’re all important players I really like. It’s the same with Aaron Ramsdale. Together, they represent the future of Arsenal and must grow alongside more experienced players like Xhaka, Gabriel or Partey. That mix was hard to put together, but Arteta has finally found the right formula.”
Not shocked
Pires says he’s not surprised by Saka’s brilliant career to date, and that’s a testament to how good he is.
Imagine being Arsenal’s best player at the age of 20 and having one of the club’s greatest ever players being unphased by your incredible rise to fame – Saka has been a prodigious talent for a long time, and it seems as though everyone at Arsenal knew about it.
Saka has a long way to go in terms of matching Pires’s accomplishments in an Arsenal shirt, but he’s certainly headed in the right direction.
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