'There's No £70m Difference Between Saka And Pepe' - Ex-Spurs Star Questions Arsenal Signing Of Ivorian
Published: July 05, 2020Former Tottenham Hotspur coach and midfielder Tim Sherwood has questioned Arsenal's signing of Ivory Coast international Nicolas Pepe last summer for a club-record fee in the region of 70 million pounds.
It was thought that the Gunners capture of Pepe could impede the development of Bukayo Saka but that has not been the case, with the Hale End Academy product emerging as a key player under manager Mikel Arteta.
Sherwood pointed out that the Anglo-Nigerian winger cannot be ignored for selection by the Arsenal coaching staff because of his versatility.
This season, Saka has caught the eye playing in multiple positions including left-back, left wing-back, left midfielder, left winger and most recently as an inverted winger.
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Sherwood stated : "He knows he is capable of doing moments like that, I think he's got the game time because of his versatility.
"When he saw Pepe come in the door, he must thought, 'Wow am I ever going to play', but let me tell you there is no £70 million difference between that kid Saka and Pepe, nowhere near.
"And in fact they should have saved their money and just develop that young boy because they have a manager now who wants to look at the academy.
"Look at how many of them have come up - Willock, who's coming off the bench, Maitland-Niles- so many of these kids now.
"Just like Chelsea have done, the kids are there in all these clubs, just give them a chance to play."
"When he saw Pepe come in the door, he must thought, 'Wow am I ever going to play', but let me tell you there is no £70 million difference between that kid Saka and Pepe, nowhere near.
"And in fact they should have saved their money and just develop that young boy because they have a manager now who wants to look at the academy.
"Look at how many of them have come up - Willock, who's coming off the bench, Maitland-Niles- so many of these kids now.
"Just like Chelsea have done, the kids are there in all these clubs, just give them a chance to play."
Saka opened his Premier League account as Arsenal beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 on Saturday evening.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
Photo Credit : arsenal.com
Copyright ANS
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from allnigeriasoccer.com
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from allnigeriasoccer.com
Latest News
- Tottenham-linked central defender Tosin makes final decision on his future at Fulham
- Super Eagles striker Boniface admits missing 2023 AFCON was one of the painful moments of his career
- Confirmed team news: Aston Villa old boy Chukwuemeka will miss Chelsea's trip to B6 6HE
- 2019 Golden Eaglets invitee Offiah makes his home debut for Brighton in loss to Man City
- 'Goal return is acceptable but could be greater' - Rangers legend likens Dessers to Chelsea striker
- Agent reveals why Super Eagles defender's proposed moves to MLS, Serie A fell through
- 2021 Super Eagles invitee open to a summer transfer to Manchester United
- Who Will Win Gold? Unveiling the Paris 2024 Olympics Football Showdown
- Portuguese top-flight club join Gent in race to sign Viborg striker Ementa
- Tottenham Hotspur hold the advantage over Newcastle in the race to sign Nigerian centre-back
Football News 24/7
News Categories
- Football Betting
- African Players
- Australia/ Asia
- Belgian Championship
- Bundesliga
- Danish Football
- English Premier League
- Nigeria National Teams
- Nigeria Premier League
- Norwegian Football
- Polish Football
- Russian Championship
- Serie A
- Spanish Liga
- Swedish Championship
- Transfer
- Turkish Championship
- Ukrainian Football
- Uncategorized
- Women's Football