Mikel Arteta exclusive: Bukayo Saka’s ‘possible’ positional evolution, Spain’s Ballon d’Or and toughest moment of reign

Mikel Arteta, in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports, has revealed how he is helping Bukayo Saka in his quest to become one of the best players in the world.

Saka has been on the verge of breaking into the elite in recent times with some stellar displays for Arsenal and England, none more so than this season with his mind-boggling displays from the blocks.

“You start winning major trophies,” Arteta said, accepting the collective nature of the process.

“If we do that and if he participates fully and is available and influences the team in the right way, it will happen naturally.”

Arteta also outlined a key role he is asking Saka to play this season to help him achieve his goals.

“One of them is to increase his role as a leader in the team,” the Gunners boss said.

“He is a boy who has been brought up at the club, through every brick necessary to be at the highest level, and I think he has the right values, he has the right temperament, the right character and the exceptional ability to become one of the greatest players of ours and create a legacy at this football club.

“To do that, his leadership role has to grow. (It’s) leadership in every way. Team impact, that’s leadership, making others better, creating higher standards, raising the bar at every level at the football club.

“And when that happens, that’s when you lead. He’s worn the armband a couple of times already this season which is another step up, he’s in the management team so that’s what he has to do for me. “

Saka’s numbers this season (courtesy of Opta) point to a player who has yet to hit his ceiling despite feeling like he has been part of the furniture for Arsenal and England for many years already…

The latter category – touches in the opposition box – is a notable one for what it might suggest regarding Saka’s positional evolution.

Could the 23-year-old follow the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe in switching from a winger to a centre-forward, potentially increasing his goal output and overall visibility on the world stage?

“It is possible,” said Arteta, “depending on what other tools you have in the team to fill the void in his position.

“I think it’s something very important, because some of the players who have done that, is it because they advised the development themselves or because they (a club) wanted to adapt another player and then they went there?

“Right now he’s doing exceptionally well where he’s at.”

It was a remarkable night for Spain at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, with Rodri, Aitana Bonmati and Lamine Yamal winning individual awards and Real Madrid and Barcelona taking home the men’s and women’s team awards.

Arteta reflected on what it meant to him to see his country achieve such success.

“It was great, so proud of it,” he said. “For many years we have had (Andres) Iniesta, Xavi, (Iker) Casillas, a lot of players who probably should have won it in the past and this year it was Rodri. I want Arsenal (to win) now. “

Expanding on Rodri’s triumph, Arteta said: “The consistency and the level he’s played in the last five, six years has been extraordinary.

“When you talk about the Ballon d’Or for the last 19 years, you have to talk about Messi and Ronaldo, and after that nobody will be at that level.

“But with the two of them in different countries and competing in different ways, it obviously opened that door for someone else.”

Arteta joined Arsenal’s hot seat in December 2019 after compatriot Unai Emery left the club in November of that year.

As he marks his five-year managerial anniversary at the club, Arteta has taken stock of the best and most difficult moments of his tenure so far.

He said: “The best moment for sure, realizing the transformation of a football club. The energy, the identity, the direction and the ambition of the football club, that’s what makes me most proud.

“And the most difficult thing for sure is when we had to go through Covid. The team, the club, we were in a difficult place, socially and sportingly. When Covid hit, it made everything very, very difficult, not only for that period, but for the next 12 months.

“I’m very proud of the way we navigated that time.”