Bukayo Saka, 21 (Arsenal)
When I wrote the equivalent article a year ago, Saka was again the first name on my list. I finished my entry with: “What is frightening is how much better he could become, especially if Arsenal invest in a proper striker and a right-back capable of overlapping and creating more space for Saka.” The emergence of Ben White at right-back and the signing of Gabriel Jesus have indeed furthered Saka’s development: he has scored 14 league goals and only Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard and Mohamed Salah have more than his 11 assists. Before the World Cup, many were unsure whether Saka had a place in Gareth Southgate’s first XI. By the end of the tournament, he was probably the second or third name on the team sheet. For club and country, the cheerful Saka is a smiling assassin and has propelled Arsenal from also-rans to title contenders in less than 12 months. Gunners fans will be delighted about his new four-year contract, which will allow Mikel Arteta to build around him.
