‘You can see’: International manager says two Arsenal players are ahead of ‘outstanding’ £73m man

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Arsenal were handed a number of England call-ups by Gareth Southgate this week as the Three Lions boss rewarded the Gunners stars for their hard work.

A fine run of form has seen Arsenal become favourites for the top four spot. Mikel Arteta has been delighted with what he’s seen, and is finally seeing some consistency from his team as well. That form has seen Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka, and Emile Smith Rowe all called into the England squad this week.

Their inclusion has come at the expense of others, though. And one such big name to miss out is Manchester United winger, Jadon Sancho. The former Dortmund man has been playing better recently. However, speaking after announcing his squad, Gareth Southgate says that the Arsenal starlets – among others – are simply ahead of Sancho.

“The other attacking players in the squad are slightly ahead of him at the moment, in our feeling. You can see the names; Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Jack Grealish. If you look at the seasons they’ve had,” Southgate commented.

“Jadon, without a doubt, over the last few weeks his performances have improved with Manchester United. But it is an area of the field where we’ve got really big competition for places. And at the moment, we’ve got those guys slightly ahead.”

TBR’s View: Saka And Smith Rowe Flying With Arsenal

Smith Rowe might have missed out more recently but you cannot deny just how well he has been playing this season before his setback. Similarly, Saka has been simply brilliant at times for the Gunners.

For Sancho, who only signed for Man United in the summer for around £73m, it has been a better month or so. But unlike Saka, he doesn’t seem to have recovered from his penalty woe in the Euros.

Certainly, he’s a far cry from the ‘outstanding’ talent he was lauded as by Dortmund supremo Michael Zorc. For Arsenal fans, then, this is just another way of getting one up on the Old Trafford club.