Arsenal have been encouraged in recent days by the news that Bukayo Saka could be set to return to action after the international break.
Arsenal’s injury crisis this season has been a huge factor in the derailment of their Premier League title bid and currently sit 12 points behind leaders Liverpool.
The Gunners do however have a Champions League quarter final with Real Madrid on the horizon and the hope is that Saka will be back for that tie alongside fellow winger Gabriel Martinelli to add some firepower for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal are also opening contract talks with Saka in order to extend his current deal which runs out in the summer of 2027. The club know they need to do everything in order to tie down their star for his peak years.
What Bukayo Saka did when he was first scouted for Arsenal
Hale End academy has enjoyed unprecedented success once again this season with the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly into the Arsenal first-team squad.
Saka is of course another product of the great work being done at the academy and speaking on Amazon Prime Video’s Arsenal All or Nothing documentary back in 2021, the winger revealed what happened when he was first approached by the club.
Saka stated: “From the moment Arsenal scouted me I think there was only one choice. I do remember the scouts approach your parents and they give them like a card with the Arsenal badge on.”
The excitement was too much for the young England international who then revealed what he did ‘for a few days’ after being told that Arsenal had scouted him.
Saka explained: “I remember getting into the car and my Dad showing me, I think I just took the card and held it for a few days with me.”
Saka showed Arsenal love with surgery decision
After tearing his hamstring back in December 2024 at Crystal Palace, Saka’s season could have been over had it not been for a tough decision made by the player himself.
Saka opted for surgery on Christmas Eve in order to get back playing as soon as possible and that decision could prove vital in the context of the season for the Gunners.
Arteta’s side have struggled to score goals in recent weeks but with Real Madrid no doubt wanting to play on the front foot and attack the Gunners, it may leave a bit more space for the likes of Saka and Martinelli to exploit.
It will be a tough ask to come back and hit form straight away after having spent the best part of four months on the sidelines but you can guarantee that the Gunners star will be doing everything to test the reigning European champions.
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