Arsenal star 'not world-class yet,' reckons Manchester United legend

Bukayo Saka is having another excellent season with Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images)

Rio Ferdinand is a fan of Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, but is not ready to accept that he is world-class, wanting to see more of the winger in the Champions League.

Saka is having another great season with the Gunners, scoring 13 goals in all competitions as they challenge on multiple fronts.

The England winger has started to build his Champions League experience, racking up five appearances in the group stage and will certainly be involved as the Gunners return in the last 16 against Porto.

Ferdinand has been impressed by the 22-year-old, not just this season, but ever since he burst into the Arsenal first team in the 2019-20 campaign.

However, he doesn’t want to dish out the ‘world-class’ tag too readily and thinks Saka has more to prove to earn that distinction.

‘Not yet,’ Ferdinand said on Vibe with Five on Saka’s world-class credentials. ‘Listen. I think Saka’s been unreal.

‘I actually think he needs a bit of a rest, so many games for a young kid. But I think, it’s almost like what is world-class? He hasn’t done it in the Champions League, has he? I’m talking in the nitty-gritty stages.

‘Saka’s top, don’t get me wrong. He’s not world-class yet.’

Rio Ferdinand wants to see more of Saka at the highest level (Picture: Getty Images)

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry had a similar assessment of Saka, speaking on Amazon Prime earlier this season.

‘You don’t have to win a Premier League title to be world-class,’ said Henry. ‘For me, I think he is going in that direction if he isn’t already there. Players that find a way to be effective, no matter what you throw at them. They have to be world-class.

‘There is a thought process in what he does all the time. When a player plays with the brain. He is going to be ahead of the game.

‘Before it was 1 v 1. Then it became a 1 v 2, now it’s a 1 v 3. You see the picture and it’s a 1 v 4. So, you need to find a way and I am going to repeat. The brain is a powerful thing and he has one.’

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