Mikel Arteta believes Bukayo Saka can win Ballon'D'or in future (1 Viewer)

Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, recently shared that Bukayo Saka has expressed his desire to win the Ballon d'Or in the future. Over the past few years, Saka has made a strong case for being considered one of the top players in the Premier League. This recognition is a result of his consistent appearances and impressive statistics.

Saka has notched up a total of 25 goals and 18 assists in the last two completed Premier League seasons, and he's already contributed four goals and three assists in the ongoing 2023-24 season. However, his aspirations were somewhat dented by England's exit in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and Arsenal's absence from the Champions League in the 2022-23 season, which affected his Ballon d'Or ranking for the recent edition announced earlier this week.

Saka ultimately secured the 24th position, four spots ahead of Arsenal's captain, Martin Odegaard, who claimed the 28th spot. Lionel Messi was the recipient of the prestigious award for the eighth time. Despite Saka's personal disappointment, Arteta expressed his pride in having two of his players recognized for their exceptional performances over the past year. As quoted in the Evening Standard, Arteta said:

"He (Saka) does think about it. He wants to be the best and I have discussed it with him. It's great they have those targets and that mindset.

He added: "I'm so glad as well that we had a few nominated in those lists. It's always good to look at yourself there next to those names and in those lists so it's a compliment to them for what they've done."