Bacary Sagna says Bukayo Saka could become an all-time Arsenal great… if he stays at the club.
After his Euro 2020 disappointment, Saka has kicked on this season, top-scoring for Arsenal as they chase a Champions League spot for the first time since 2016. The 20-year-old has been enjoying his best season in front of goal leading to reported interest from Manchester City.
But while some have suggested for the England star to make the move to the Etihad if an offer is forthcoming, Sagna - who made the move himself back in 2014 - has advised Saka to stay put at the Emirates, and cement his place as a Gunners legend. The former France international is in no doubt that there is much more to come from the 20-year-old in North London.
“The fans show a lot of love for him, and he's been incredibly important for a few years now,” Sagna said, speaking exclusively to Mirror Football courtesy of bet365. “He's young, he's developing well, he's important for England and he needs to play every single game.
“You have to play to develop, I'm not sure he would have the same impact with City, the same type of play at City. But it's personal, it's a personal choice of his and how he feels and what he really wants.
“Of course, there's a bigger structure at City as you have two top teams in one. At his age, he should take more time to think about what he wants, he should make sure he becomes a better player for his club before thinking about moving.
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Sagna was surrounded by young talent at Arsenal, so his comments shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Frenchman was at the Emirates Stadium when Cesc Fabregas became the club’s youngest ever captain, and played with Jack WIlshere at Camp Nou as the 19-year-old almost helped Arsene Wenger ’s team knock Barcelona out of the Champions League.
Indeed, Wilshere’s name is one which the former right-back brings up when discussing Sagna. The England international might have had a difficult few years, culminating in a move to Aarhus this season, but Sagna saw him at his best.
“[Saka] has amazing potential and I think he could be one of the best players in Arsenal's history,” Sagna said. “He's doing amazing, he's a treat to watch, he's not scared, he's confident, he has everything. The last player I saw playing that way was Jack Wilshere.
While there may well be renewed interest in Saka if Arsenal miss out on the top four, Sagna maintains the situation is different to his own when he left the club. That move came after seven years, and at a time in his career where he had given the Gunners a number of good years without much to show for it in the way of trophies.
“He's a strong boy, he just wants to play, he doesn't want to talk,” the 39-year-old added. “If I was him, I would have stayed. Look, I was at the club for seven years. The relation I had with the club was good, but I'm very sensitive about the details. I would have loved to stay; my dream was to feel more loved by the club. Sometimes you need extra love.
“When I left the club, I didn't feel loved. I thought, look, I've been here for seven years, I've been here that long, maybe they've fallen out of love with me. So, I reached a point where I decided to go but I was 31 not 21.”
Arsenal fans will certainly hope to get seven years of Saka, and that’s at a minimum. There’s no question over his importance to the team, and now it’s about ensuring he has the quality he needs in the supporting cast.