Arsenal are a team on the up at the moment; of that, there can be no doubt.
Gone are the days of finishing eighth in the Premier League and meekly rolling over when playing the rest of the Big Six.
The Gunners, under the management of Mikel Arteta, have reestablished themselves among the country's biggest clubs, and while they might still fall short of winning the league in the face of the Manchester City juggernaut, they will get close.
This resurgence has been in large part thanks to some brilliant recruitment and the promotion of some incredibly talented youngsters, with one who, above all others, has come to symbolise this modern Arsenal side, a player who did not cost the club a penny and is now worth more than Phil Foden.
A diamond in the rough
A number of promising youth products have made the leap from Hale End to the first team in recent seasons, such as Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, and even Ethan Nwaneri, who got the shortest of run-outs early on last season.
However, when it comes to a youngster emblematic of Arsenal's resurgence in recent years, there is only one man it can be: Bukayo Saka.
The charismatic and skillful Gunners gem burst onto the scene during Unai Emery's first season in charge, making his debut off the bench in a Europa League game away to Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava, before making his first start against Qarabag FK a couple of weeks later.
He would be given his first run-out in the Premier League against Fulham in January of the same season, but with only seven minutes to play, he would have to wait another season for his full league debut.
That came against Aston Villa in September 2019, and while he was not able to score or assist in that game, he did set up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's equaliser at Old Trafford in the following match – talk about making a case for yourself.
It would be fair to describe Arsenal as an incredibly tumultuous place when the Hale End star was breaking through, with managerial changes, fan discontent, and a general feeling that the club was up a creek without a paddle.
This instability is best demonstrated by Saka being the only player still at the club who started against Villa in September 2019. Moreover, the only players on the bench who are still plying their trade in N5 are Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Martinelli.
Ultimately, it is rather surprising that the Ealing-born prospect even survived all the upheaval at the club, although he did more than just that; he thrived.
Saka's unstoppable rise
It was in the 2020/21 season that the Gunners' 'little chili' truly established himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the country, with Arteta now playing him more as a wide midfielder or winger instead of as a left-back he was able to impress fans and terrify defences with his quick feet and football IQ, which U23 scout Antonio Mango described as being at the "highest level".
In all, the "creative genius", as he was dubbed by Mango, has now played 209 games for the North Londoners, in which he has scored 49 goals and provided 53 assists, meaning he has averaged a goal involvement every 2.04 games since his debut at just 17 years old.
209
49
53
0.48
While a return like that is impressive just in and of itself, it is made even more impressive by the fact that he has played 21 games at left-back, and only played as an out-and-out winger for 87 games of his Arsenal career.
However, he has not just been a revelation for the Gunners. Alongside his exploits at club level, the "future icon", as he was dubbed by talent Scout Jacek Kulig, has been electric for the English national team, and has already become one of the most important players in the squad.
In his 32 senior caps, the 22-year-old has scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, meaning he is providing a goal involvement every 1.68 matches for the Three Lions, a truly remarkable record for someone so young, especially considering the plethora of wide talent that Gareth Southgate has to choose from.
However, it is not just the wide players that Saka is outperforming in the England set-up, it's everyone. The Gunners' wide wizard has been named England's Player of the Year for two years running now, beating out the likes of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham to claim the prize.
Saka's current valuation
So, with such a meteoric rise – one that is showing no signs of slowing down – just how much money is the Hale End graduate worth in today's market?
Well, according to the CIES Football Observatory, the young Englishman is currently worth a whopping €200m, which works out at around £171m.
Now, realistically, the Gunners will not be selling their 'starboy' anytime soon, and you can imagine that the fans would rather see mant other players in the squad leave before the academy graduate departs.
However, it shows that clubs can make much more money by developing and nurturing their stars, as any potential sale is registered as all profit under the current rules, given that he joined the academy for nothing.
One of Saka's contemporaries, and another Premier League prodigy, is Manchester City's Phil Foden, due to his age, position, and importance to the national side.
However, according to CIES, the City gem is worth a fair bit less than his title challenger, coming in at a valuation of €150m, or about £128m.
The Stockpot-born dynamo has scored 74 goals and provided 50 assists in 251 games, meaning he has averaged 0.49 goal involvements per match since making his debut for the treble winners.
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While their personal statistics are incredibly similar, their different valuations show how important Saka is to Arsenal, whilst Foden has a way to go before he gets there within the City squad.
Ultimately, both youngsters are uber-talented and look destined to dominate the game for the next decade-plus. Still, Arsenal's academy superstar has already taken so much responsibility upon his shoulders, so it does make sense to see him valued slightly higher in today's market.
Arsenal and Arteta have hit the jackpot with Saka, and they will be hoping that the next academy graduate to become a superstar is just around the corner.