Ian Wright says the youngster is the ‘future’ of Arsenal, but he thinks the player needs protecting because opposition teams are targeting him, as he told Premier League Productions (25/02/23 at 2:45 pm).
The Highbury legend added that ‘Arsenal fans are worried’ about the number of hits Saka has to take, but shared it’s because he brings ‘everything’ to the table, in terms of quality.
At 21, Saka has been carrying the weight of Arsenal on his shoulders, but in a few months, it could have the happiest of endings.
When Saka was coming through at Hale-End, donning the colours of his boyhood club would have been the ultimate dream.
But he might just now follow in the footsteps of the likes of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg by becoming a Premier League title-winner.
Many feel that the England star is destined for greatness as Wright spoke highly about the player.
“He is the future of the club,” said Wright. “They have put a lot on him. From the age of 15, he has always played above his level. For someone as young as he is. He has taken this on for the last couple of years. I am very pleased that it hasn’t had so much of a toll on him where it has caused him a lot more injuries than he has had.
“We have seen recently how much attention he gets from defenders because they know how much of a threat he is. But he keeps going. It’s a worry. Every time he goes down, Arsenal fans are worried because of the amount of work he is putting in to try and get us where we need to be.
On if he can become better: “Without a doubt, he has to. He is still improving. He knows that. Even when you look at the way he plays. He can dribble, cross and pass. He can do everything. But you get better because you get more consistent with what you are doing.
On whether he needs protection: “It’s obvious that people are targeting him. I don’t hear him say anything. I don’t think he will ever do something like that, it’s for others to say that and the referees to see it. But he will just keep going.”
FUTURE ARSENAL AND ENGLAND CAPTAIN
It’s Martin Odegaard and Harry Kane who are donning those respective armbands, at this moment in time.
But, down the line, it wouldn’t be a surprise if it’s Saka that’s leading the troops because he is a leader with the ball.
In today’s modern game, you don’t have to be a vocal leader, Odegaard is an example of that, but if you can make the ball talk, then that in itself will do.
For Arsenal, many believe that, whilst Odegaard is the skipper, the real captain of the ship is their hard-hitting midfielder, Granit Xhaka.
