Liverpool are linked with an interest in signing Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka this summer, but would the 18 year-old consider a move?
The wonderkid has lit the Premier League alight this term, tormenting defences whether playing as a winger or as a makeshift wing-back, and will have excited a number of potential suitors.
Liverpool are named as one side who could well make their move in the coming window, and Sky reporter Willy O’Connor believes that Arsenal have nothing to worry about.
“Saka does fit Liverpool’s recruitment model,” O’Connor said.
“Eighteen, already impressed in the Premier League, the likelihood is his value will rise, so it makes sense for Liverpool to be looking at that kind of player particularly given he’s only contracted to Arsenal until 2021.
“However, would he get the regular game time at Liverpool that he’s getting now? Probably not.
“So whether there’s interest or not I certainly do not see this happening this summer, while Arsenal will continue doing what they can to ensure he stays beyond 2021.”
His contract situation will of course leave fans with concerns however, especially with our club having so far failed to convince the current England Under-19 star to extend his deal.
Saka has already earned a regular spot in our first-team, and you would hope that Arsenal will not allow the contract situation to continue into the summer, otherwise we could end up being forced to sell him as well as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as they enter the final 12 months of their deals.
Would Saka get regular action at Anfield? Does he deserve to be paid as much as the other regular first-team stars or does his age and limited experience mean he should be in a bracket just below?
Patrick
Fear Liverpool? No. How could you fear a club with such Fate? Look at the Champions League final of 2018 – and this incredible year 2020, when they could have won it all – and lost EVERYTHING.
Jûrgen Klopp is german. I don’t think he really like England and the british. Germans seldom do. At least he didn’t care for the national cups (Carabao and FA), just gave them away. So unprofessional. But he had BIGGER things in mind. And until the new year it all went well. But suddenly, after the win against Norwich on the 15th of February, it started to go wrong. So very wrong.
The Red Devils went to Madrid for the first leg vs Atletico in the battle of the Champions League qf. And they lost – 1-0. OK, they had lost before this season, against Napoli in September and against Aston Villa in December (that time represented by a bunch of kids).
But this loss in Madrid must have felt like a (I can’t find a suitable metaphor. Sh*t?).
Back in England the league sovereigns had to fight hard to beat West Ham on their own home ground. The did it anyway – 3-2. That was on the 24th of Feb. Five days before going to Watford to meet the relegation candidate at Vicarage Road. Then that happened that no one thought could happen, Liverpool lost an EPL game for the first time for more than a year, after three surprising goals in the second half by Watford! And the players in red acted as if they didn’t care.
That loss (“The Leap Day Massacre” or “The Murder at the Vicarage”) on the 29th of February took away the chance to go “invincible” 2019-20 and to beat Asn’ls classic record of 49 matches in a row without losing. A major blow for Liverpool FC.
On the third of March, when Jürgen Klopp after the Watford-loss needed to match his best men to get back the winning feeling, Liverpool took at trip to London to meet Chelsea in the 5th round of FA-cup.
The psychological importance of this game never became obvious to manager Klopp. He didn’t understand that it was much more at stake than the advancement to the last 8 of the national cup. He let several of his big stars stay on the bench. They came in when it was to late. And Liverpool lost again! The third defeat in two weeks.
Coming up next was the clash with Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth at Anfield. After a slow start and an early Bournemouth goal Liverpool turned the game to a win – 2-1.
This was on the sunny afternoon of the 7th of March 2020. The last EPL game for Liverpool this season? But at that time they didn’t know. Perhaps the Liverpool players were living in the illusion that this dreamlike season could last forever.
That was exactly two months after the chinese authorities had identified the new pneumonia virus from the Hubei province as a corona variety. And it took almost two weeks more to become aware that this extremely aggressive virus infects from human to human. By that time people were dying. The 20th of January 2020.
To move forward to March 11, that day the first game in Premier League 2019-20 was postponed due the corona virus, Manchester City vs Asn’l. And later in the evening it was time for the second leg between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid at Anfield Road. The winner were heading to the last eight in the prestigious Champions League, in which Liverpool FC still hold the title. They had the year before turned a three goal loss to a win by four to three against Barcelona in one of the best matches ever played by a british team.
Now they were just minus one goal against Atletico Madrid after the first leg. But Atletico is something completely different to meet than the attack oriented Barca. Atleti is used to play under pressure. They have done it so many times before, against Real Madrid and Barcelona, against players like Christiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi. And a goal for the spaniards at Anfield would force
Liverpool to strike thrice.
The match goes to overtime after a Liverpool goal late in the first half. And when Firmino scores a second goal for Liverpool in OT the home team was on the way to glory. But the visitors had their tactics clea: We don’t do more than we have to, until we have to. And it was no coincidence that after Liverpool’s second goal, when Atletico suddenly must score, they did so – not once, not twice, but three times. The spanish manager Diego Simeone is a master mind and the strategy behind the tactical dispositions was that of a genius. The mighty Liverpool had lost again. They were kicked out of Champions League by a team who played so much smarter. “It was beautiful”, as the old hero of Feyenoord Wim van Hanegem pot it. Liverpool’s dream of a back to back win in CL was brutally taken from them.
By that time, when Liverpool were leading EPL with for the other teams embarrassing 25 points (with the reigning champions Man City on second place), the China virus, now namned covid-19, had like a reminiscence of the Black Death of the 14th century reached Europe and occupied Italy. The New Plague went across the Alps and with a pace and aggressiveness that frightened everybody it was putting the northern hemisphere under it’s spell.
That meant that the only title that Liverpool Football Club still had a chance to win, the title it’s leaders, players and many fans around the world NEVER thought could be taken from them – the Premier League victory – by this virus de facto was taken from them! Not even Liverpool in the eminent form they’ve been this season could win a game against death.
It’s a match you have to loose, Liverpool, and I’m sure none of your players want a 75% Premiership, a Premiership given to you by the other nineteen teams in the league. None of you want to have the title given to you as a gift from Asn’l, Chelsea, Tottenham. Because they will never let you forget that it was they who gave it to you, that it was a gift from them. Never.
You want to win the title the only way it can be won, by standing there after 38 rounds of football with more points than any other team. Undisputed champions. No discussion. No bullsh*t. With the trophy in your hands, to lift up in the air and the clear blue sky.
But if that isn’t possible. If the only way to get this for thirty years awaited victory is associated with humiliation, is it then worth the prize? A title given to you, not because you’ve won it, for you haven’t, but because the others pity you, feel sorry for you. I’m sure you all find that situation unacceptable. For that would be a title without value.
Fear Liverpool? No.
Remark: This is written in SWEnglish. I hope you excuse me.
Correction: clear, put, lose… Sorry.
It is no age issue for players as Saka, more of making sure he is happy.
He helped as a LB and Arteta seems to want to make him that, but Saka wants to play as a winger. Won’t sign until he sees his futur clearer, and club’s ambition as well.
Shows how poor this club’s management is. We incapable to make proper or extend deal before too late, not even with academy players who feel in a total mess with no vision!
Our brilliant oard will first make a straight swap Laca for Partey. Free & all 4 parties agree; easy one !
Auba will then leave, followed by Ozil.
But once this happens, it is no way to attract top players; they see a weak team, a club falling off, with no ambition.
Now, in order to not lose Auba but have him extend, we simply must bring Koulibaly; show ambition! Napoli wants Torreira.
Sell Elneny, Luiz, Sokra, Torreira, Mustafi, Xhaka, most being wanted, ofload them; more than enough to pay for Koulibaly and his requested wage.
For no money but an average brain, we have a team & squad to fight for all titles!
Leno
Bellerin Koulibaly Chambers Tierny,
Partey Willock
Ozil
Pepe Auba Saka
Bench’s squad:
Martinez
Ceares Saliba Holding Kolas
Niles Rowe Gendouzi
Nelson Nkethia Martinelli
Not familiar with Ceares but all these players are fine prospect ready to step up; they need playtime in order to fully develop to top players.
Sell everyone else doesn’t make us weaker but allows to offload useless players and wages.
Mainly allows these young players to play and step up, at their natural position of course.
Niles, one of a academy’s best hope was waisted for a year; forced to play at RB; benched and off the team because he had enough of it.
Fans & writers dissing him for not being good enough as an RB, then for being fed up of it!
But we in amateur zone & guessing land; with experimentations of a board and a coach in developement, jumping from assistant to coach with Captain Kroenke to cruise the Arsen(Al) Wenger ship
Wenger is so missed, a ship with no captain! He was not just a coach but present and an inspiration at every level of the club and outside!
No way we would had confused and lost players nor a mid-table unattratctive club we became in 18 months time with such a legacy and our own stadium!
Most fans, this new generation from a decade, do not understand nor what we represent in football. They are ignorant in that way, asking “Wenger out!”, In a freaking stadium he built & managed to pay for; shows that ignorance, spoiled brat he made by keeping us in title chase with no money. A miracle, but do it for so long is simply amazing. Idiots!
👏 bravo!
After reading that, Saka wouldn’t even consider leaving the mighty Arsenal for those Liverpool no hopers!
That was meant to be a reply to Robert