Can Arsenal keep hold of Bukayo Saka?

As he gave his post-match interview following his goalscoring outing against Andorra, Bukayo Saka was met with a warming rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ from the home fans. Not only is he adored by Arsenal, he’s also cherished by England.

The question is: ‘in what regard is he held by Europe’s finest?’

Festering in the wake of the worst start to a season in 67 years, Arsenal are clinging onto hope, above all. Facing Norwich next it’s a case of hoping the returning players make a difference, hoping the new arrivals hit the ground running, hoping Aubameyang finds his shooting boots and hoping Mikel Arteta finds a winning formula.

A club of Arsenal’s once great stature pins too much on the ‘what if’ as opposed to the ‘what is’.

As Arsenal drift further away from the upper echelons of the Premier League and out of Champions League reach, Bukayo Saka edges closer to leaving

For all the crossed fingers and toes, there are some aspects to hang your hat on. Precious few, sadly, but Saka is one of them.

The now 20-year-old forward is, above all, a certainty: an assurance of quality and a deliverer of performance. Despite the hit and miss nature of so much of the squad, you can always rely on Saka being there. In a box of Celebrations chocolates, he is the Bounty.

But for how much longer? An England regular at such a young age, the consistent nature of his displays are imperative to Arsenal who without him are a shadow of the team they hope to be.

Regardless of the overuse of the term ‘generational talent’, it can be attributed to Saka with total confidence. He is special. He is unique.

He is better than this.

Rock bottom of the Premier League and with no European football, Arsenal have invested heavily into what Edu referred to as a ‘foundation’: an overdue approach to bring the age of the squad down that rests worryingly heavily on his and Arteta’s talent ID.

It could take years to see the strategy pay dividends. Even then there are no guarantees. If Arsenal aim to build a side that can match the ability of its best talent then they don’t have years. There has to be success now.

Six players for a combined £150m all between the ages of 21-23 is a risky ploy. Extremely so. It heaps pressure on the supposed senior players to provide the stability for the individuals so that they can develop at a rate that brings short-term gain from long-term prospects.

Is that enough for Saka?

Continued…