Former Premier League defender Jose Enrique has doubled down on his Bukayo Saka verdict and has sent Arsenal a new 10-word warning amid occasional Liverpool talk.
Saka, 20, was the best of a bad bunch in Arsenal's crushing 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace as Mikel Arteta's men suffered a bid blow in the race for the Premier League top four. His football.london player rating read: "Probably Arsenal's most likely threat on the night as he caused problems for Tyrick Mitchell down the right. Switched over to the left and seemed to have less of an impact but still the Gunners' best player on a woeful night. 7."
The Gunners' long exile from top four means they need to ensure that this result is only a one-off, because the consequences if not, could mean that certain key players could consider their long-term futures at the club. The young Three Lions international has been one of Arsenal's players of the season and as a result, Liverpool initially had his name down as a potential Mohamed Salah heir, as per Liverpool.com, but with the Egyptian now looking likely to sign a new contract as per various outlets, it remains to be seen whether or not FSG do still want to provide Klopp with a player who he could potentially mould into a world-class talent.
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That was the dream of former Reds defender Enrique who had seen Arsenal's number 7 as a natural replacement to Liverpool's iconic number 11 if he would have departed amid his contract stand-off which seems to be under control now. "I don’t think there is any player like [Salah] at the moment," the Spaniard told Genting Casino via The Mirror back in March 2022. "There are very good players out there, like Raphinha from Leeds, he’s a top player. But what Salah has, not many players in the world have. He has a goal in him, work rate, he has everything.
"Thiago is still adapting to his style and he’s a world-class player. So it’s not very easy to find the right players to fit Klopp’s style. That’s why I believe when you have players like Salah, they should retire at the club. It won’t be easy to replace Salah, but there are players who could replace him; Raphinha could be one, I really like Bukayo Saka." Fast forward a few weeks now and the Spaniard has doubled down on his Saka verdict with his 10-word warning to everyone involved in North London.
He tweeted on his Twitter account @Jesanchez3 in response to a Liverpool fan: "I love Saka and is what we need I believe."