Arsenal star winger Bukayo Saka is “not far off” the level of Champions League luminaries and Ballon d’Or hopefuls such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Harry Kane, according to former England international Gary Neville.
Bellingham, Foden, and Kane were all honoured in the Champions League Team of the Season following standout performances for their respective clubs—Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich.
Bellingham’s remarkable debut season at Real Madrid saw him help secure the club’s record 15th Champions League title, with a victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Wembley final. His exploits also included winning La Liga and the Super Cup, along with scoring 23 goals, which earned him the La Liga Player of the Season award.
Phil Foden shone brightly as Manchester City reached the Champions League quarter-finals and clinched the Premier League title for the sixth time, with Foden named Premier League Player of the Season. Meanwhile, despite Bayern Munich falling short of silverware, Harry Kane’s first season in Germany was marked by an impressive 44 goals in 45 matches, showcasing his exceptional individual talent.
In his Overlap newsletter, Neville praised the trio’s contributions and forecasted their nominations for the Ballon d’Or, while also highlighting Saka’s proximity to their level. Saka, who had a stellar season with Arsenal, recorded 20 goals and 14 assists, playing a crucial role in the Gunners’ title challenge and their progression to the Champions League knockout stages.
Reflecting on Bellingham’s achievements, Neville wrote, “Watching Jude Bellingham lift the Champions League at Wembley on Saturday night in his first season at Real Madrid, to add to La Liga, the Super Cup, his 23 goals and his La Liga Player of the Season trophy, was a reminder of the fantastic talent Gareth Southgate has available to him this summer.”
Neville continued, “The UEFA team of the season was released on Monday made up of the best players in the Champions League in 2023-24 and Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane were all in it. All three of those will be Ballon d’Or contenders at the end of the year. Only France, with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann, have comparable attacking talent to England right now. But the depth England have is astonishing. Bukayo Saka isn’t far off the status of that trio.”
Saka is expected to be a key player for England at Euro 2024, as Gareth Southgate’s team aims to break their long-standing trophy drought. The Three Lions secured a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in a recent warm-up match and are set to face Iceland at Wembley before heading to Germany for the tournament.
