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Saka Was My Winger. Now, He Needs to Be My Striker.

We’ve all seen the “Saka is my winger” memes floating across social media. It’s a catchy line, but it’s time to spark a debate that has been quietly festering for a couple of seasons now: Bukayo Saka needs to be moved up front. Enough with the exhausting right-wing shifts.

The Evolution of the Elite Wide Player

In recent years, we’ve witnessed a massive tactical shift. The world's most influential wide players inevitably find themselves moving centrally. Whether it’s a permanent transition or a fluid tactical adjustment, the drivers are always two-fold: tactical necessity and physical preservation.

Think of Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Kylian Mbappé. All of them burst onto the scene terrorising fullbacks on the flanks before eventually migrating to central roles. The sheer physical toll of playing out wide the constant, high-intensity tracking back and lung-busting touchline sprints takes an immense toll on the body.

Saka doesn’t sit at the table of those legendary names, but he shares a crucial trait with them: he has outgrown solely being a right winger. He should’ve evolved into a complete forward by now, much like the transitions we’ve seen from Jarrod Bowen, Vinícius Jr., or even Raphinha, who have all unlocked world-class levels by operating closer to goal.

The #10 Is Dead, Long Live The #10

 I am genuinely surprised by the lack of exposure Saka has had in central roles or even on the left wing. Yes, Mikel Arteta experimented with him in an attacking midfield role for a couple of games during the 2025/2026 season. But let’s be honest: the modern #10 role has lost its freedom.

A decade ago, the playmaker was a free spirit - a maverick on the pitch who went wherever they pleased. Today, tactical systems are so rigid that central midfielders are bound by strict positional discipline to combat modern defensive blocks.

If you want your best player to have total freedom, you don’t drop them into the midfield engine room or force them into dog work shifts out wide. Saka is far too intelligent to be locked down or double-teamed on the touchline. As a striker, he would have a license to cause absolute havoc, unsettling low blocks and making defenders miserable. He could drop deep to link play, drift out to overload the half-spaces, and make unpredictable central runs behind the line.

Adding Weapons to the Arsenal

We have watched Bukayo add new strings to his bow season after season. He started as a raw, 1v1 touchline menace. Then, he developed his trademark "cut-inside-and-shoot" routine. Since then, he’s added long-range strikes, deep back-post crossing, and a clinical weak-foot finish to his arsenal.

 

The Turning Point

We know his ceiling is astronomical because we saw it in the first half of the 2024/2025 season. Before disaster struck, Saka was playing the absolute best football of his career, racking up a staggering 18 goal contributions in 22 appearances across all competitions. Even while Arsenal struggled as a collective, Saka was matching the output of Mohamed Salah at his peak.

More importantly, we saw a massive shift in his demeanour. He was playing with a distinct swagger, finally dusting off the "humble, nice kid" tag to embrace the aura of a global superstar. While the hamstring surgery at Crystal Palace derailed that momentum, and the last 12 months have been a difficult journey of recovery and rushing to find that rhythm again, the blueprint remains.

Saka is no longer just a winger. If Arsenal wants to unlock his final form, protect his longevity, and maximize his development, it’s time to let him lead the line at least some of the time!