Seeing a great player grow before your eyes can be one of the greatest pleasures football fans can have.

arsenal v sheffield united premier league 6
LONDON, ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal on October 04, 2020. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth – Pool/Getty Images)

As the sport becomes more a business of numbers than a passion-driven activity, Bukayo Saka is one of those few amazing cases, a player that’s bringing a lot of joy and hope to the Gunners.

The story behind the star

Bukayo Saka was born in Ealing, a part of the greater London area, on September 5, 2001. Both his parents came to England from Nigeria looking for better opportunities.

This is where his name comes from, as Bukayo means “adds to happiness” in Nigeria, and is considered a good name for both boys and girls. He’s certainly living up to his name on the field for Arsenal.

Saka started his football career as a young talent at Arsenal’s Hale End Academy, so his relationship with the club grew through his football roots. As he stood out and grew he was given more chances to play, and on his 17th birthday Arsenal offered him a professional contract with the team.

Rise to the top

Saka saw his biggest opportunity following the injuries of Sead Kolašinac and Kieran Tierney, which made space for him to become a regular. The extra appearances allowed him to impress the fans and his manager, securing his spot on the field, plus a lot of attention from other teams.

The Big Decision

Young Saka’s making a big bet by staying at Arsenal, hoping it will pay off with the squad that is being put together and the love he’s getting from the stands. The mix could be a perfect composition to win big titles in the future. You can make your own kind of bet here on this site and discover more opportunities to play your game and test yourself to see if you’re a Saka kind of winner.

The reasons behind his decision are pretty simple, worth a look at for other clubs looking to keep their young talent just as the Gunners managed to do:

  • Explicit interest from the club: Arsenal expressed that keeping Bukayo was a priority for the club, which made the player feel important and wanted, more inclined to staying put.
  • Higher offer: Bukayo is smart on and off the field, it was only fair that he saw his paycheck rise after the kind of explosive performances he was putting in and the club knew that.
  • Support from the manager: Mikel Arteta was interested and involved from the beginning in getting Bukayo to stay at the club, an important vote of confidence for any talent.

The Future Is Bright

Bukayo, the Arsenal squad and club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are making a lot of noise in the Premier League, with stellar performances in many matches.

It looks promising, to say the least, from young star Saka. He has all the energy of being nineteen, not to mention time. Fans should expect a lot more growth in skills and style from this talent. It’s going to be an exciting run for sure.