Eric Dier says Arsenal have a ‘fantastic’ player in their ranks who’s gone under the radar

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier has waxed lyrical about Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, deeming the Gunners attacker a “fantastic” player.

North London is gearing up for a big derby on Sunday, with Arsenal welcoming Spurs to the Emirates Stadium in a 4:30pm kickoff.

Jose Mourinho’s charges will have to be mindful of Saka, a player whose rise in the past two years has been nothing short of stratospheric.

The 19-year-old made his Arsenal breakthrough in 2019-20, clocking up 39 appearances in all competitions and weighing in with four goals and 11 assists.

This season, meanwhile, Saka has registered 33 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals and assisting a further seven.

In addition, the Hale End graduate has also made his England breakthrough, training and playing alongside Dier for Gareth Southgate’s side.

“I have spent a lot of time with Bukayo now in the international set-up,” Dier told Sky Sports News (1:53pm, 13 March). “I think he is a fantastic player.

“I think he has got a bit under the radar if anything in terms of what he has done this season compared to other young English players. He is a fantastic guy as well.”

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Fans, pundits and peers are running out of superlatives for Saka.

No surprise really – he’s a player of the highest calibre who, let’s not forget, is still just 19 and is capable of so much more as he continues to progress, develop and gain more experience.

Arsenal’s defence has been a bit shaky in recent weeks while Spurs’ attack is firing on all cylinders, but with Saka in the Gunners ranks, their rivals will have to work hard to keep him at bay.