FBL-ENG-PR-WOLVES-ARSENAL — Arsenal's English striker Bukayo Saka watches his shot beat Wolverhampton Wanderers' Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio to score the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on July 4, 2020. (Photo by Michael Steele / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by MICHAEL STEELE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Saka makes 2019/20 PFA Young Player of the Year shortlist

Sep 4, 2020

Bukayo Saka is up for the PFA Young Player of the Year award for 2019/20, making the final shortlist of six ahead of the ceremony on Tuesday.

Matt Smith (L) and Bukayo Saka (R) with the FA Cup trophy (Photo via Arsenal on Twitter)

The PFA announced their nominees for their Young Player of the Year award on Friday, with Bukayo Saka joining Tammy Abraham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mason Greenwood, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford on the shortlist.

That’s certainly a strong list, and you might notice it’s actually a list of young players, for once.

The PFA only allow players 21 or younger at the start of the season to qualify. So you don’t get the likes of Anthony Martial and Jack Grealish on the list as with the Premier League award.

The result is that Saka is quite rightly involved this time. The 18-year-old scored four goals and assisted 12 last season, despite regularly playing at left-back.

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He played an important part in the FA Cup-winning campaign and scored or assisted against four of the Premier League’s top seven in 2019/20.

Though this wouldn’t count towards the PFA award, Saka also got off to a good start to the new campaign when he assisted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal in the Community Shield. He’s currently away with the England u21s for the first time.

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