Jermain Defoe has told FIVE that he would pick Bukayo Saka over Phil Foden, claiming that the Arsenal star is a special player and has a little bit more than the Manchester City man.
It does appear that Saka and Foden are way out in front when it comes to the best young forwards in the England squad. The pair are looking set to be mainstays of the Three Lions’ side for many, many years to come.
Of course, Foden has already won a number of major trophies with Manchester City. The 22-year-old has got his hands on the Premier League title four times.
Defoe picks Saka over Foden
Saka meanwhile, is a part of the Arsenal side which currently leads the way in the top-flight. And it is hard to argue with anyone who believes that he has become their most influential player.
Remarkably, the pair have frighteningly similar records in their Premier League careers. Saka has 47 goal involvements in 117 games, with 24 goals and 23 assists.
Meanwhile, Foden has 31 goals and 16 assists in 115 games, meaning that he also has 47 goal involvements for the Cityzens. So there is so little to pick between the two.
And Defoe clearly found it fairly difficult to separate the pair. But he did ultimately opt for the Arsenal sensation.
“Saka. I think you’ve just got to say it how it is,” he told FIVE. “Saka is a special player. And from what I hear he’s one of the nicest boys as well. He’s so good for the changing room.
“I love Foden, he’s a special player. But I just feel like Saka’s got a little bit more.”
It is Saka who boasts the slightly better record this term. Both men have scored seven times in the Premier League, albeit with Foden playing a couple games fewer.
But the Arsenal man has also provided seven assists, while Foden has three so far.
Should the pair continue to develop at their current rate, they are going to jostle for that top spot for some time. Both are going to go through better patches of form at various points.
But it does feel that more people would probably agree with Defoe’s view at this current moment.