Arsenal had several excellent performers in their 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, and one of those players has now been tipped as someone that could make the move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the future.
William Saliba has reportedly attracted interest from the Spanish capital in recent months, but it is Bukayo Saka that has been touted as a player would improve Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, as Arsenal icon Emmanuel Petit told William Hill earlier this week.
“Bukayo Saka could easily be playing for Real Madrid. He’s one of the best players in the world in his position, even at this early stage of his career. It’s incredibly rare to see someone return from injury and consistently perform at such a high level, as he did on Tuesday night.
“His contributions in terms of goals and assists are elite. Just look at his performance against Real Madrid – he was absolutely crucial for Arsenal. One-on-one, down the flank, he’s a nightmare to defend. If Real Madrid were to make a move for him, I’m sure their fans would be more than delighted.”
Petit also believes that Saka could be a candidate for the 2025 Ballon d’Or if Arsenal were to win the Champions League – on the other hand, he would expect Kylian Mbappe to drop out of race if Real Madrid were to be eliminated on Wednesday.
“The Ballon d’Or race is incredibly tight this year. Without a World Cup or Euros, the spotlight is firmly on the Champions League. That puts even more weight on performances from players still in the competition – Raphinha with Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele at Paris Saint-Germain – they’re very much in the conversation. At this point, it could come down to something as simple as: whoever lifts the Champions League trophy might lift the Ballon d’Or too.
“After Arsenal’s first-leg win over Real Madrid, it’s hard to ignore the impact that could have on Kylian Mbappe’s chances. If he’s knocked out early, it dents his case. And on the flip side, if Arsenal go all the way, Bukayo Saka absolutely deserves to be in the Ballon d’Or discussion, but it may be tricky for him this season as he was injured for four months. But at the level he’s playing right now, you can’t count him out.”
