Bukayo Saka has the highest price tag of any Arsenal player and his £85.3m transfer valuation makes him one of the most valuable players in the world, according to a new study.
As per the CIES Football Observatory's findings, the Gunners star cracks the top 15 in the global rankings behind the likes of England teammates Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Mason Mount as Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe takes the top spot with a valuation of €205.6m (£176.18m).
Interestingly, Saka's valuation just last August was between €70m-€90m (£59m-£76m) so his price has soared in less than 12 months following an impressive 2021/22 campaign that saw him net 12 goals and weigh in with seven assists across all competitions as Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League.
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Three other Arsenal players make the top 100 with Emile Smith Rowe valued at €62.3m (53.1m) and Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale - two permanent arrivals in a busy transfer window for the club last summer valued at €57.8m (49.3m) and €51.2m (43.7m) respectively.
In terms of where Saka ranks across the Premier League, his near-£90m valuation puts him high up on the list, ahead of a series of big-name players including Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, Chelsea pair Kai Havertz and Reece James, Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester City's Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne.
Of course, it should be noted that player ages are a factor in the rankings and while it is hard to compare Saka and De Bruyne because of their different positions, Saka and Grealish both play out wide in their respective teams and are selected for the exact same reasons: to create goals and score them.
That said, to already be valued higher than the most expensive player in British football is certainly some feat and with the huge amounts of potential in his locker, it may not be too long before the Gunners winger is challenging Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland for a spot in the top three.
Furthermore, Saka is the third highest valued player across Europe's top-five leagues in his position of attacking midfield. That's higher than RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku, for example, and he is being linked with a big-money summer move to Chelsea after scoring 35 goals across all competitions last season.
Not that he needed one, but this is another reminder to Arsenal technical director Edu ahead of contract talks with Saka should be a priority this summer. football.london have previously reported that a new deal will be offered to the winger to reflect his role in the team as one of the most important players.
With the 20-year-old's contract expiring in the summer of 2024, it's essential the club get him tied down to a longer deal in an attempt to ward off likely interest from Man City and Liverpool in particular.
