"He looks like he's ready to be let off the leash" - Alan Smith names player capable of replacing Bukayo Saka at Arsenal

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith believes the club already has a player capable of replacing Bukayo Saka. The Englishman has been an important player for the north London club since he came through the club's youth setup to establish himself as one of the best right-wingers in the world.

Saka, 23, has played 243 times for his boyhood club, bagging 64 goals and 59 assists since he joined the senior team in 2019. Smith believes that the talented forward can have the workload on his shoulders reduced now thanks to another young player in the team, telling Mega Dice:

“Arteta knows better than anyone else what to do with Ethan Nwaneri, but he’s been ultra careful with him, you can’t hold a player like that with so much ability down for too long. He looks like he’s ready to be let off the leash. Nwaneri is more than capable of replacing Saka on that right-hand side, there hasn’t really been a replacement for him yet. He’s a versatile player, he could play in the middle, and on the left."

Smith concluded:

“You’d like to think you can expect to see him more in the starting XI now this season, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli aren’t in their best form so it might be that Arteta gives him more starting opportunities in the coming weeks.”

Ethan Nwaneri became Arsenal's youngest-ever player when he made his Premier League debut two seasons ago. He came on as a substitute against Brentford aged 15 years, five months, and 28 days.

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"We know what he can produce" - Mikel Arteta pleased to welcome Arsenal star back from injury

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that he is pleased to welcome Jurrien Timber back to the team after his recent injury struggles.

Timber joined the Gunners from Ajax in 2023 for a reported €40 million but he has been unlucky with injuries since his arrival. In his first game at the start of the 2023-24 season, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out of action for the majority of the campaign.

However, Arteta remains excited to see what the defender has to offer to the team, saying (via Football.london):

"For sure. At that level as well. We know what he can produce. He’s a player with exceptional qualities and a lot of leadership and the intention and purpose that he plays with."

Timber has played just 1,257 minutes of football across 18 games for Arsenal since signing for the Gunners. The north London outfit will face cross-town rivals West Ham United in the Premier League at the London Stadium on Saturday (November 30).