Arsenal: No reason to rush Bukayo Saka decision

Bukayo Saka has performed excellently at left-back this season despite developing as a left-winger. But there is no need to rush the decision where the Arsenal prospect should play.

Bukayo Saka has made quite the impression in his first senior season. The 18-year-old Arsenal prospect was promoted to the first team under Unai Emery, broke onto the scene with a fabulous goal against Eintracht Frankfurt in the group stage of the Europa League, and has since gone on to establish himself as a regular under Mikel Arteta.

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But Saka’s role under Arteta was not his usual wide berth. Rather than play as a natural winger, pushed high and up against an opposition full-back, Saka was needed at left-back thanks to injuries to Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac.

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Being the smart and tactically astute coach that he is, Arteta recognised that he could not thrust Saka into an orthodox full-back position. The teenager has little experience playing there, is still very loose defensively, is easily shoved off the ball when attempting challenges, and would be exploited by senior opposition. And so, Arteta crafted a hybrid wing-full-back role for Saka, in which he would take a much higher starting position when Arsenal were in possession, Granit Xhaka shifting wide to cover the space from central midfield.

This role has been perfect for Saka. His delivery from out wide has flourished as a consequence of more time on the ball, standing deeper and wider than a normal winger. His dribbling ability has been excellent, again benefitting from playing on the shoulder of the opposing defence as a normal winger would. Meanwhile, his defensive work has been combative and industrious, if a little raw at times.

His performances have led some to question whether Saka should be the starting left-back for the foreseeable future, even changing positions from winger to full-back. Danny Rose made the switch many years ago, Alphonso Davies is now one of the best left-backs in world football but was signed as a winger only a year ago, while the role of the modern-day full-back is much more comparable to a wide midfielder than defender, as evidenced by Liverpool’s pair, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Saka is built in very much the same manner as these other players. His crossing is comparable to a young Alexander-Arnold, he has the speed and athleticism of Davies, and he can dribble like a winger, too. There are defensive vulnerabilities to deal with, but the same can be said for Davies, Alexander-Arnold and even Robertson. Their offensive value outweighs their defensive vulnerability.

For Arsenal and Saka, however, there is no need to rush the decision. While he will eventually have to settle into a positioning master one trade or the other, for now, playing both higher up the pitch as a winger and in a more defensive position is only beneficial. As Saka himself said, his time at full-back will aid his wing play:

"“In the future, if I do get to go back onto the wing I feel like I know how full-backs play and playing as a full back I know what wingers do, what I like them to do and what I don’t like them to do. It’s a good learning experience for me.”"

Saka is a winger who can play full-back and a full-back who play on the wing. And at this stage in his career, the versatility between the two is only a positive. For now, then, there is no need to rush the decision of which position he should settle in.