Arsenal FC v Aston Villa - Premier League
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka can win the Ballon d’Or, says Jorginho (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal star Jorginho believes Bukayo Saka is more than capable of winning the Ballon d’Or in the future – as long as he improves one ‘little thing’ in his game.
Since breaking into Arsenal’s first-team back in 2018, Saka, 23, has established himself as one of the most feared attacking players in Premier League football.
Having finished last season with 20 goals to his name in all competitions, his best ever tally for Arsenal, Saka has picked up where he left off, netting five times while registering ten assists in the English top flight this term.
He has also chipped in with two goals and an assist in the Champions League, with the north London outfit currently sitting seventh in Europe’s premier competition.
The England international will no doubt be desperate to continue his barnstorming form when Mikel Arteta’s men welcome Manchester United to the Emirates, in search of a fourth straight win, on Wednesday night.
Ahead of the contest, Arsenal midfielder Jorginho sat down to discuss a range of subjects while appearing on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, presented by Qatar Airways and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Saka was one of the main talking points.
‘Unbelievable… world class. I said to him, “I want to see you win the Ballon d’Or”,’ Jorginho told the legendary ex-Manchester United and England defender.
Sporting Clube de Portugal v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5
The England winger has been in superb form for the Gunners (Picture: Getty)
Pressed on whether Saka is really capable of winning the Ballon d’Or, Jorginho replied: ‘I believe so. I believe in him… yeah. I hope he believes in himself as well.’
Jorginho added: ‘For me now, the thing he needs to go more now, it’s his hunger to get in the box when he’s on the weak side….
‘Yeah, I want to see headers from him, cross you from the left side.’
West Ham United FC v Arsenal FC - Premier League
Saka has notched five goals and ten assists in the league this season (Picture: Getty)
On the suggestion Saka could get six or seven more goals a season, Jorginho added: ‘Easy. Easy with that. Easy.
‘Let’s see how far he can get, you know? And for me, it’s the little thing that he’s missing because sometimes the ball’s on the other side and I can see it’s coming.
‘I was like, get in there. And it’s not there. I’m like, no, man.’
West Ham United FC v Arsenal FC - Premier League
Saka could score even more goals if he improves one ‘little thing’, according to Jorginho (Picture: Getty)
Later on in the interview, Jorginho lifted the lid on a rather unflattering nickname the Arsenal squad have come up with for Saka.
‘So basically in Brazil, we have this joke and we make this nickname, yes? Brazil, pé, it means feet, foot, yeah? And pesudo, it means big foot,’ he explained.
‘So when it’s like bad technique or control or something like that, so we start calling him like, oh, pesudo. Yeah, he’s going mad.’
Jorginho continued: ‘But it’s a joke because he’s completely the opposite, isn’t he?
‘He’s just an unbelievable player who is becoming like a machine for us and I hope he becomes like for England as well, you know, because his talent and his hunger and his quality is just so high.
‘And on top of that, the person he is, he just deserves like the world for him, like everything. I’m there cheering for him, honestly.’
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