Bukayo Saka gave a nod to his Arsenal allegiances when asked who his favourite France player is ahead of England’s World Cup clash with Les Bleus this weekend.
The Three Lions will face the defending champions in the quarter finals at Al Bayt Stadium at 7pm on Saturday after beating Senegal 3-0 in the previous round. Gareth Southgate’s side will face a serious test against the tournament’s top goalscorer, Kylian Mbappe.
But there will be no surprises this weekend, as many of England’s players are familiar with their opponents from club football. Saka spoke to reporters before the match and was asked to name his favourite player from the France squad, besides Mbappe.
“I like William Saliba!” he answered quickly before elaborating. “No, of course, they have so many players. I could name a few. I like Ousmane Dembele, I think he is really good. They have so many quality players so we have to be ready for all of them in their own way.”
Saka’s fondness for Saliba is no surprise, given how much of an impact the French defender has made at Arsenal this season. Signed from Saint-Etienne in 2019, the 21-year-old has returned from three successive seasons on loan in France to establish himself in Mikel Arteta’s side.
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He formed a solid partnership with Gabriel which helped the Gunners hold top spot in the Premier League going into the break for the World Cup. Saliba is unlikely to start against England, however, having made just one substitute appearance at the World Cup, with France manager Didier Deschamps preferring Raphael Varane and Dayot Upamecano in central defence.
Saka went on to speak more broadly about the French connection at Arsenal and pay tribute to former manager Arsene Wenger. “One of my biggest regrets was that I haven’t met Arsene Wenger,” Saka said.
“I know how much my dad loves him, how much everyone at the club loves him. I know what he has done for the club, of course. We had so many other French players too, like Thierry Henry and Robert Pires, who have been around the club and helped me.
“Thierry called me [after missing the penalty in the Euro 2020 final]. He showed a lot of character to get my number and reach out to me. After most Arsenal games, he reaches out to me and he is still passionate about the club. He is an amazing person.
“They still support me to this day. I am grateful to them. Of course, on the pitch, they were magnificent and won silverware for Arsenal. They are legends.”
Arsenal's players which are not in World Cup action are out in Dubai on a warm-weather training camp, where they will face Lyon and AC Milan in the Dubai Super Cup. They will return to England to play Juventus in another friendly before returning to competitive action against West Ham on Boxing Day.
