Genuine quotes calling Bukayo Saka a tough opponent have been falsely attributed to Nuno Mendes this week, with many fans online falling for the deception.
Arsenal are set to face Paris Saint-Germain this week, so fans and journalists have been digging around for any stories involving the two teams. Unfortunately, a few of them have fallen for a prank by one Gunners fan on social media.
Both Arsenal fans and fan websites have shared a quote purportedly from PSG’s Nuno Mendes, claiming Bukayo Saka is “very, very good”, and his toughest opponent.
The quotes appear to originate from a post by Leo Dasilva in March, shared on Twitter. Yet a little research proves that whilst the comments are genuine, the source is false.
Rather than Nuno Mendes, it was Newcastle United’s Dan Burn who made the comments back in 2023, responding to a question about his toughest opponent.
“Saka, always,” Burn said. “He’s very, very good. Because now it’s constant, you play against inverted wingers.
“So 20 years ago, you’d play against a right footer [at left-back], show him that side and cross it, but it’s not the end of the world. Whereas now you’re playing against wingers who, if you send them inside, they’ll come inside, they’ll shoot.
“You’re like, ‘Right, I’ll cover that’, then they take it down the line and cross it anyway. I think Saka’s up there for me as the most consistent.”
It was high praise by the Newcastle man, who could end up as Saka’s future teammate if the two players continue to receive call-ups from new England boss Thomas Tuchel. But the comments had nothing to do with PSG defender Mendes.