Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka has been named as the seventh most valuable wonderkid in Europe’s top five leagues, with team-mates William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe also listed.
The England international enjoyed an immense breakthrough campaign last term, and capped that off by making his senior England debut early into the new season, and has now been named inside the top ten most valuable players born since the year 2000.
According to the FootballObservatory‘s list, Saka is down as a defender, but had he been listed as a midfielder he would have been rated as Europe’s most valuable midfield player, although ranking as Europe’s second most valuable young defender shouldn’t be discounted.
Saka ranks higher than the likes of Manchester City’s Phil Foden, but only ranks as third most expensive Premier League youngster, behind Ferran Torres and Mason Greenwood.
Gabriel Martinelli and Saliba come into the list in 26 and 28 with a value of €26.3 Million and €20.9 Million respectively, but worth a snip of the €95.8 Million rated Saka.
Interestingly, Saliba is worth less than the fee paid by the Gunners only last summer, but with his limited playing time since joining because of injury, and the early end to French football last term, it is a reasonable presidence.
Smith Rowe sneaks into the top 100 with seven below him making up the numbers, while his limited action so far this term can’t have helped him either.
Would Arsenal have accepted an offer of £86 Million for Saka had one come in this summer? Is he the most valuable player in our squad?
Patrick
In sheer sale fee and bearing in mind his age and obvious ability, yes, Saka would( NOT “WILL”please notice) certainly be our most valuable sale ,albeit in fantasy land, since it will not happen! He would be way ahead of any other player, with MARTINELLI, by the end of this season, being the closest behind him.
I omit Partey purely because he is not a forward and forwards attract a premium. SAKA IS A FORWARD, NO MATTER WHERE HE IS PLAYED.
Great to see so many of our youngsters coming through and with regards to Saka, credit must be given to Arsene, Freddie and Mikel as they have all played major parts in their careers with The Arsenal.
Not sure if Saka would command that kind of fee at the moment though and I see Auba, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey and Bellerin as more value to the club at this moment in time…. both in terms of the squad and in monetary value.
Let’s not get carried away and put so much pressure on such a young man – give him time to mature.
He never played a game under Arsene so why are you giving credit to Arsene and not emery who gave the lad his first senior appearance for the club, Emery and Freddie pushed saka to the limelight, not Arsene. Is that selective bias from you Ken?
Kstix, when Saka was offered a trial at Hale End not only Arsenal, but spuds, chelsea etc were also after him. He says he chose Arsenal, because of the way they played and AW, who was manager at that time, saw the talent and got him on our youth books.
He signed his first professional forms at the age of 17, and on the recommendation of Freddie, who had seen him develop in the years of his youth and recommended him to UE.
I should have credited UE for agreeing with the recommendations of Freddie and the foresight of Arsene.
Good grief KEN, you actually think Bellerin is more value and use to us than SAKA. We have had some disagreemnts in our time but this one takes the biscuit!
I cannot see any of your list, bearing in mind thr age of SOMEof them, fetching anywhere near the fee SAKA would fetch, in a fantasy non Covid market, which is academic anyway. But even so….!
However, I agree that we should not put prsssure on SAKA , NOT THAT WE ARE DOING SO THOUGH.
Saka and Martinelli I agree with but where is Willock in this 100 list and AMN because if they’re behind Smith-Rowe why isn’t he playing currently. I know he was injured but I thought he was ok now?