Over the summer Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka was primed for a leading role at the World Cup.
However, that never happened. While Saka did score a hat-trick in the bronze medal game with France, he was largely underused by England boss Thomas Tuchel.
The German hinted at fitness issues, but speaking after the conclusion of the tournament, Saka said he was fine. Strange, right?
Irrespective of fitness and injury, the winger hasn’t been at his best since that hat-trick. Or has he? It’s been a topsy-turvy campaign for the club’s number 7 to date.
The story of Saka’s season so far
During the summer transfer window Mikel Arteta and Co had the ambition to add an ‘elite’ attacker to their forward line.
Yet, things did not materialise as anticipated. The only player to arrive in that regard was Christos Tzolis and as promising as the young Greek has looked since arriving, he is no Vinicius Junior; he is no Julian Alvarez.
Saka, so it would appear, is no Vinicius Junior either. Speaking after a disappointing performance from the winger on England duty on Tuesday night, a game in which he missed a sitter from a matter of yards out, former striker Gabby Agbonlahor stated that his “style of play is too predictable.”
The pundit continued: “When I watch Yamal play, I can’t help but think ‘wow’; but when I watch Saka, I rarely get that same sense of excitement. In my opinion, Saka’s ceiling is limited, and he’ll struggle to become a top-tier player. Look at players like Lamine Yamal and Olise – Saka can’t reach their level.”
Harsh? Yes. Fair? Perhaps.
Whether or not Saka is world-class has been debated for years. At times he looks like one of the best wingers in the world. In the first few games of the season, there was a sense he was getting back to his best.
The attacker scored against Coventry City and netted against Aston Villa too. He’s still a threat. The 25-year-old ranks among the finest 5% of positionally similar players in the division for fouls won per 90 minutes, and he is also among the best 4% for shots on target with 1.94 per 90.
Yet, he has lacked end product. Against Napoli in the Champions League, he missed a simple one-on-one. That was the same story against Brighton prior to the break. He then missed a straightforward opportunity for his country this week too.
It’s a habit Saka needs to break free of or risk being usurped in the coming years.
Arsenal have signed an elite winger in the making to rival Saka
Saka needs to watch out. After all, the Gunners have a number of top young players coming through the ranks at the moment.
While there is a general sense that Ethan Nwaneri, his understudy in the 2024/25 season, may have to leave permanently to get regular first-team action, Max Dowman is someone who won’t be going anywhere.
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Arsenal’s youngest debutants |
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|---|---|
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Player |
Age at debut |
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#1 Ethan Nwaneri |
15 years, 5 months, 28 days |
|
#2 Max Dowman |
15 years, 7 months, 23 days |
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#3 Jack Porter |
16 years, 2 months, 10 days |
|
#4 Cesc Fabregas |
16 years, 5 months, 24 days |
|
#5 Marli Salmon |
16 years, 3 months, 11 days |
|
#6 Jack Wilshere |
16 years, 8 months, 12 days |
|
#7 Jermaine Pennant |
16 years, 10 months, 15 days |
|
#8 Paul Vaessen |
16 years, 11 months, 11 days |
|
#9 Ryan Smith |
16 years, 11 months, 18 days |
|
#10 Gedion Zelalem |
16 years, 11 months, 29 days |
The feeling is that the teenager’s future role will be as an attacking midfielder and the very fact he scored two goals against Ipswich in the Carabao Cup from that position tells you everything you need to know.
So, perhaps Saka can rest a little easier in that regard. Dowman might not be the one to rob him of the famous number 7 shirt anytime soon.
That said, he does need to watch out for young Edwin Quintero. Who? You’re well within your rights to ask that. Technically, he’s not an Arsenal player yet.
Last autumn, the Gunners announced that they had reached a pre-contract agreement with Edwin and his twin brother, Holger, to sign the teenage pairing from Independiente del Valle in Ecuador.
IDV boast one of the best academies in world football. They produced Moises Caicedo, Piero Hincapie and William Pacho to name a few.
Two of the most exciting young players to emerge from the youth pitches at Independiente in the last few years are the Quinteros. Edwin is arguably the most exciting of the two.
Why? Well, he’s a bit like Saka. A right winger by trade, Como scout Ben Mattinson has outlined that the youngster is “so skilful and constantly uses flair to fool defenders. He has the ability to run games and create something out of nothing.”
That sounds rather like Saka, don’t you think? Quintero is the definition of a maverick. There’s something of a Noni Madueke about him too.
Don’t let that put you off. The dribbling style is remarkably similar. It’s a bit languid and it’s not always the most aesthetically pleasing, but it bamboozles defenders.
The teen demonstrated that on his senior debut just a few months ago. He played just six minutes of a 4-0 win vs Banta back in July but got himself on the scoresheet.
Quintero hasn’t found the net in a further eight games since, but he is already making a strong impression. Like Saka, the IDV wonderkid is an excellent carrier. In the Ecuadorian top flight this season, he has completed 2.89 dribbles per 90 minutes, a statistic that places him among the best 3% of positionally similar players in that division.
Furthermore, he ranks among the finest 17% for big chances created per 90 with 0.48 and he is ranked in the best 15% for fouls drawn. That’s one of Saka’s best attributes, so it bodes rather well for fitting into the Arsenal team.
He’s young and raw but there has been a considerable amount of hype attached to Quintero for nearly two years now. At the start of 2025, scout Jacek Kulig rated him as one of very few young players in the world with 10/10 potential. For context, Dowman also made that list.
At just 17 years of age, the Quintero brothers will not officially move to Arsenal until next summer, but in time, Edwin looks like a player capable of wearing the number 7 shirt.