Opinion: If Spurs had to sign one Arsenal player, who would it be?

Spurs and Arsenal’s rivalry has existed for more than 100 years and it remains one of the fiercest rivalries in the world of football.

The North London Derby is a day on which the players from both sides should show true passion (even if Spurs failed to do so recently). 

Throughout the history of the two clubs, several players have played for both sides. The infamous Sol Campbell unfortunately springs to mind, as well as others like William Gallas and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Therefore, I thought I would decide who Spurs would snatch off Arsenal if we had to/if we could: 

Arsenal may be in a rotten spell at the moment; however, they do have some exceptional players that could help us.

Centre-back Gabriel and summer signing Thomas Partey are players that would certainly be on the shortlist. However, I believe that Bukayo Saka would be the one player Spurs would grab with both hands if they had the chance.  

The 19-year-old has been sensational this season and is one of the contenders for Young Player of the Year, in my opinion.

This season, Saka has predominantly played at right wing for the gunners, with 13 goal contributions in 35 games (transfermarkt).

This may be nowhere near the levels of Son and Kane, but if you watch him, you can see he has the flair, pace and skill to go right to the top. 

When Arsenal beat us 2-1 recently, Saka came off at half time. When I saw this happening, I thought we might actually have a chance because he and Smith-Rowe were causing all kinds of problems.

However, I was wrong and the players and the staff once again let down the loyal fans. Fearing someone so young, in such a big game, shows just how good he is and can be. 

If you look at Spurs’ current attack, there is one main issue. The right-wing position has been a constant struggle for the N17 squad all season.

Lucas works much better as a number 10, Gareth Bale is way too inconsistent and Steven Bergwijn has gone quiet ever since his debut goal against City. Having the opportunity to snatch Saka would fix that issue drastically, even if it would never realistically happen. 

Furthermore, Saka would help to fill in the homegrown quota for the Lilywhites, something we have struggled with for many seasons. Only, being able to have 17 foreign players can be an issue at times, another reason why Saka would be the best of the Arsenal bunch. 

It pains me to say it, however, the potential Saka has could be endless. At just 19 years of age, he has taken the Premier League by storm. There is no doubt that Saka can, and probably will, become world-class.

He looks so mature and experienced for someone his age, so with the right work ethic, I do believe he will reach the top. Let’s hope Saka can perform well for England so I can cheer for him on the international stage at least!

The idea of being able to sign one rival player, with no restrictions, is always fun to think about. In the past, there were always so many options. 20 years ago, you could have chosen the likes of Henry, Vieira and Bergkamp.

These days, the options are slim as Arsenal’s downfall continues to run out of control. The tide has turned in North London, Spurs have a greater player pool to choose from and it won’t be turning back anytime soon.  

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