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‘Incredible’ Saka can emulate idol Ronaldo, suggests Arteta

Rachel07 mins


Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised Cristiano Ronaldo’s inspirational influence on Gunners striker Bukayo Saka after team-mate Jorginho said the England international could also become a Ballon d’Or winner.

Ronaldo won the first of his five Ballon d’Or awards while playing for Manchester United, who visit Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday (8.30pm GMT), as a 23-year-old in 2008.

At the same age, Saka has two more assists this season than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues and has scored 11 goals and 7 in 18 appearances in all competitions.

Saka vs Ronaldo

“Showing up is always good,” Arteta replied when asked about Saka, telling interviews that he looked up to Ronaldo as a youngster.

“Probably nobody would have expected Ronaldo to do what he did after his first two seasons at Manchester United … it was about his mentality, his work ethic, his chemistry with his team.”

Saka broke the record set by Thierry Henry, who was 24 at the time, when he became the youngest player to reach 50 Premier League goals for Arsenal earlier this season.

The Arsenal academy product has 65 goals and 61 assists in 234 games for the club, while Ronaldo contributed 118 goals and 43 assists in 292 games in his first spell at United between 2003 and 2009.

Saka’s stats: ‘He can only get better’

“We always see a change in numbers with Bukayo, every year,” Arteta said. He is always adding things to his game and becoming more and more consistent.

“His impact, in terms of goals and assists, is incredible at this stage of the season. He can only improve and get better because he has the right players around him to do so, and especially because he wants more.

“Also, it is important to play in a team that has the ability to be dominant. “B” has that framework and if it targets (Ronaldo’s achievements), it’s positive.”

Saka: Ronaldo “special”

Saka named Ronaldo as his childhood hero as part of an interview with Arsenal striker Kai Havertz last year for ESPN, with both players saying the Al-Nasr top scorer is the player they would most like to see get to know

Footage from the documentary All or Nothing which followed Arsenal in 2021/22 showed Xhaka expressing his determination to then team-mate Aaron Ramsdale to procure a shirt from Ronaldo, who was in his second spell at Old Trafford at that time.

Talking to you Men in Blazers earlier this year, Saka said he could not imagine playing for as long as the 39-year-old. “That’s why I respect him so much,” he added.

“When I was younger, he was my idol – but now that I’m playing professional football, I respect him even more, how he’s managed to stay so disciplined and focused and achieve everything he’s achieved. He is special.”

Jorginho backs Saka for Ballon d’Or

Jorginho told the former United captain The Rio Ferdinand podcast that Saka would win the most prestigious individual award in football as his confidence grows.

“They train with him every day and are with him in the dressing room,” Arteta said of his team’s admiration for Saka.

“For a player and a teammate to have words like that is always very positive. It shows you how much they believe in him and how much potential they see in him.”

Second-placed Arsenal will start their game against United nine points behind leaders Liverpool. The visitors are on a two-game winning streak under new manager Ruben Amorim and can move three points behind Arteta’s side with a win.



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