Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has boldly claimed that Bukayo Saka has yet to reach world-class status, offering his reasoning behind this assessment.

Saka emerged from the ranks of the Arsenal academy and made his first-team debut in 2018 under Unai Emery. Since then, he has been one of the team's most consistent performers.

His contributions were pivotal to Arsenal's title push last season, although it ultimately ended with Manchester City clinching the championship, surpassing Mikel Arteta's men for a third consecutive title.

According to Sky Sports, Saka became the youngest player since Frank Stapleton in 1978 to score 50 goals for the club. Currently, he boasts an impressive tally of 51 goals and 49 assists for his boyhood club.

Ferdinand downplays Saka’s status

Former player and pundit Rio Ferdinand disagrees that Saka is a world-class player and claims he has to do it outside of the local scene to be recognised.

“Not yet,” he said on Vibe with Five when asked if the Hale End graduate is world-class. “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 about the nitty-gritty stages. Saka’s top, don’t get me wrong. He’s not world-class yet.

The claim was anticipated to stir disagreement among fans. Achieving 100 goals for a prestigious club like Arsenal at the age of 22 is truly remarkable.

Looking at it from a different angle, this season marks Saka's debut in the UEFA Champions League. In just five group-stage games, he managed to score three goals and provide four assists.