Arsenal star Bukayo Saka arrived at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony after being nominated for the Kopa Trophy.
Saka featured on a list of 10 nominees alongside England teammate Jude Bellingham, with the Borussia Dortmund star tipped to win the award. The 21-year-old was nominated for the same award last year but missed out to Barcelona talent Pedri, who is absent from this year's list of nominations after being hampered with injuries throughout the 2021/22 season.
Saka registered 19 goal contributions for the Gunners last term but was unable to help his team qualify for the UEFA Champions League after missing out on a top four spot at the expense of north London rivals Tottenham. The Arsenal forward is out of contract in 2024 but the club are prioritising negotiating a new deal for Saka to deter interest from Manchester City and Liverpool.
READ MORE: Bukayo Saka succeeds in aim to increase Ballon d'Or chances with key Premier League improvement
Upon arriving at the ceremony in Paris, Saka was seen embracing former Liverpool forward and Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane along with exchanging words with the Senegal international. The 21-year-old and Mane were involved in some huge clashes in the Premier League and Saka will be hoping he can reach the same level as the 30-year-old in his career.
Arsenal recently beat Liverpool in a huge game at the Emirates Stadium in which Saka scored two goals, including the winner from the penalty spot as Mane's former side continue to endure a difficult time in the Premier League. Mane has made the top 10 nominees for the Ballon d'Or award, but Real Madrid star Karim Benzema is tipped as favourite after enjoying an amazing 2021/22 season with the Spanish giants.
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