They may not be the favourites for the Premier League title anymore, but it would be fair to say that everything is looking rather rosey on the red side of north London.
After years in the wilderness, Mikel Arteta has hauled Arsenal back among the big boys of football and has a squad full of brilliant talents to prove it.
Whether it's Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard or William Saliba, there is excellence throughout the Gunners' squad.
Still, one star is elevated above the rest, a player worth substantially more than Tottenham Hotspur's talismanic captain, Heung-min Son.
Bukayo Saka's Arsenal career
The player in question is none other than Arsenal's own talismanic star, Bukayo Saka, who has transformed from a promising academy product to an out-and-out star of the Premier League who wouldn't look out of place in any team across the continent.
GK – Emiliano Martínez
RB – Carl Jenkinson
CB – Sokratis Papastathopoulos
CB – Laurent Koscielny
LB – Ainsley Maitland-Niles
CM – Joe Willock
CM – Mohamed Elneny
CAM – Mesut Ozil
LM – Bukayo Saka
RM – Eddie Nketiah
ST – Alexandre Lacazette
Developed at the club's Hale End academy, the young Englishman made his full first-team debut in a Europa League away game under previous manager Unai Emery. Still, it wasn't until the following season, the campaign in which Arteta took charge of the club, that he truly established himself as part of the first team.
Across 38 games that year – 17 of which he played at left-back – the Ealing-born star scored four goals and provided 12 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.3 games in his first proper season of senior football.
Appearances
225
Goals
58
Assists
53
Goal Involvements per Match
0.49
The following seasons saw the 22-year-old slowly move to the right wing, where he's since firmly established himself as the first name on the teamsheet and as the poster boy of this new era for the club.
In all, the fan favourite has racked up 58 goals and 53 assists in 225 appearances already, which is a truly incredible record for someone of his age and helps explain why his valuation has soared in the last few years.
Bukayo Saka's valuation in 2024
According to the CIES Football Observatory, Saka is worth €200m today, which converts to around £171m, making him the joint-third most valuable player in the world and also the most valuable player at Arsenal.
1
€200m (£171m)
Bukayo Saka
RW
2
€150m (£128m)
Martin Odegaard
CAM
3
€100m (£86m)
Gabriel Martinelli
LW
3
€100m (£86m)
Kai Havertz
ST/CAM
3
€100m (£86m)
Declan Rice
CM/DM
3
€100m (£86m)
William Saliba
CB
4
€80m (£69m)
Gabriel
CB
4
€80m (£69m)
Gabriel Jesus
ST/LW
5
€50m (£43m)
Aaron Ramsdale
GK
The Gunners' "legend in the making", as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, has more than lived up to his price tag this season, as despite some suggestions that he's not been at his best, he's scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists in 46 games, meaning he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.3 games.
It's his impressive and consistent level of output combined with his age that really contributes to his massive valuation, and to the delight of many an Arsenal fan, he is now worth over six times more than Spurs' icon Son, whom the CIES currently value at just €30m, which is £26m, or a whopping £145m less.
Now, the South Korean star has actually had a reasonably impressive campaign himself this year, racking up 17 goals and nine assists in just 33 games.
However, given that he's due to turn 32 in July, had a slightly lower return of 14 goals and six assists in 47 games last season, and is set to complete his £190k-per-week contract – as things stand – by next summer, he simply can't have a valuation higher than it is.
Ultimately, both players are incredible footballers, but with Saka's age and outstanding form behind him, it only makes sense to see his valuation stand magnitudes higher than Son's.
So, it would be fair to say that Arsenal really hit the jackpot with the Hale End star.
Arsenal in pursuit of "world-class" Havertz upgrade who wants a PL move
The incredible talent could totally transform Arsenal’s attack.
ByJack Salveson HolmesMay 9, 2024
