Here are 2 former Arsenal stars who could have become Bukayo Saka of the North London club before Bukayo Saka.
Bukayo Saka is one of the, if not the best Arsenal player right now. ‘Starboy’ as he is called has matured with each passing year, and is only going from strength to strength.
The Englishman made his EPL debut for the club back in early 2019, and only became a regular starter under Mikel Arteta during the COVID-19 lockdown seasons. Fast-forward 4 years, the club gets significantly weaker in his absence.
However, like Saka, Arsenal have had several Hale End players touted to become the next big thing at the North London club. Only a few have lived up to the ‘club-expectations’ though.
Here are two former (one on loan) Arsenal stars who could have become Bukayo Saka before Bukayo Saka:
Serge Gnabry
Serge Gnabry Bukayo Saka
Serge Gnabry (Via Bayern Munich)Football – 2012 / 2013 Capital One Cup – Fourth Round: Reading vs. Arsenal Serge Gnabry – Arsenal at the Madejski Stadium PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxBRA ; Fussball England League Cup 2013 Einzelbild Freisteller Aktion xmk x0x 2012 quer premiumd Image number 11810838 date 30 10 2012 Copyright imago Color Sports Football 2012 2013 Capital One Cup Fourth Round Reading vs Arsenal Serge Gnabry Arsenal AT The Madejski Stage Football England League Cup 2013 Single cut out Action shot xmk x0x 2012 horizontal premiumd
Serge Gnabry, after spending his childhood across multiple academies in his home country Germany, joined Arsenal’s Hale End as a 16-year-old back in 2011. He began playing in the u18s team initially, but was soon promoted to the reserves after proving that he was ready for the big stage. A year later, in 2012, Gnabry turned pro, and was included in the club’s pre-season friendlies.
Gnabry’s debut in the English Premier League came in October 2012, after a club debut in the League Cup the previous month. He soon made his UEFA Champions League debut as well. The next season proved to be even more eventful, and his regular starts and impressive displays also got him a nomination for the 2013 Golden Boy award.
Just when he was destined for big things in the 2014-15 season, a serious knee injury washed out his entire season. Once he returned, Gnabry was sent on loan to West Bromwich Albion (season-long), and it more-or-less sealed his fate. Once his loan spell concluded, Gnabry left Arsenal, and joined Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. In one year, he was able to impress the big dogs, and the German joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
The very first year, he was sent on loan to TSG Hoffenheim. Once he returned, Gnabry was a different beast. He became a regular starter for Bayern Munich, and began contributing/scoring goals for fun. Fast-forward 6 years, he is still one of the key members in the squad, having made over 170 league appearances for the club.
Reiss Nelson
Reiss Nelson
Reiss Nelson (via Goal)
Reiss Nelson was quite younger than Serge Gnabry. Born in 1999, unlike Gnabry, Nelson was Arsenal through and through. Having joined the academy when he was just 8, he rose through the ranks in his later childhood years, and turned pro in 2017, when he was just 17 years old.
Nelson’s first appearance for Arsenal came as a substitue in the 2017 FA Community Shield against Chelsea. A match Arsenal won on penalties (who would forget Thibaut Courtois mooning the ball in the penalty shootout). Although, Nelson played across multiple competitions, his Premier League debut came only in January 2018, as a substitute against Crystal Palace.
After the end of the season, Arsene Wenger left the club, and Unai Emery took over. Nelson was sent on loan to TSG Hoffenheim, the club Gnabry was at the previous year. Once his loan spell ended in 2019, Nelson got back-to-back Premier League starts in the 2019-20 season. However, he was injured a couple of months later. Then came Mikel Arteta, and Nelson’s starts were sporadic. The Englishman used to get starts, then got injured, returned, spent time on the bench, and the cycle was never-ending.
In the 2021-22 season, Nelson was loaned to Feyenoord. Once he returned it was the same story. Most of his appearances for the club were as a substitute, and he did get some important goals for the club. However, he could never cement his place in the playing XI. Fast-forward to 2024, Nelson has been sent on loan to Fulham.
It is worth noting that Nelson still has time to prove himself at the North London club. Only time will tell.