Speaking in a TikTok video with @goalglobal, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development was asked to rank the five players that he enjoys watching right now.
In an attempt not to be biased, Wenger stated he wasn’t going to name any Arsenal players, but we’re sure Bukayo Saka would have made the cut if he did.
Here are the five players that Wenger chose.
5. Lamine Yamal
Think back to the 2006 Champions League final, when Barcelona vanquished Wenger’s Gunners. Yamal wouldn’t be born for another year.
In fact, the wonderkid from La Masia was only 10 years old when Wenger waved goodbye at Arsenal in 2018.
He’s already up there with the best attackers in the world, tearing it up in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Yamal’s outrageous goal and assist against Benfica are evidence of an otherworldly talent.
4. Cole Palmer
Chelsea’s talisman might be enduring a bit of a dry spell when it comes to goals and assists right now, but there can be no questioning his quality after 18 exceptional months at Stamford Bridge.
The 22-year-old has announced himself as one of the most talented players of his generation since he departed boyhood club Manchester City in search of more regular playing opportunities.
Palmer has notched an incredible return of 39 goals and 21 assists in just 78 appearances for the Blues. With output like that, no wonder he gets Wenger up from his seat.
3. Vinicius Junior
Wenger name-checked the Brazilian as one of the players most likely to challenge for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Vinicius hasn’t been in his best form since losing out on football’s most prestigious individual accolade back in October, but you wouldn’t bet against him once again coming alive for the latter stages of the Champions League.
He’s had a knack for producing his best performances on the biggest stage in club football in recent years, having already scored big goals in two different Champions League final victories.
2. Kylian Mbappe
The only one of Wenger’s French compatriots to make the list is a solid, obvious pick.
You won’t be shocked to hear that Wenger tried (and failed) to sign Mbappe when he was a teenager.
“We can talk about Mbappe, I was at his home when he was undecided whether to extend his contract with Monaco,” Wenger told beIN Sports.
“He could have come to Arsenal for free. I would say every club is full of histories like that.“
If only…
Monaco's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring during the Champions League match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. February 2017.
1. Mohamed Salah
Salah’s time at Liverpool only overlapped with Wenger’s long stint at Arsenal for one season. But he has great respect for the former Gunners coach and even received some sage advice.
“I think so,” Salah agreed, when Steve McManaman suggested the difference between good and great players is the ability to score match-winning goals in an interview on TNT Sport.
“I think I got that advice from Arsene Wenger in the past. I asked him the same question actually because he had great players in his career.
“He told me: ‘The great players, it does not matter how he performs in the game. He always stays focused and waits for the moment. He’s always in the game’. And I put that into consideration a few years ago.”
And the respect goes both ways. Salah was Wenger’s first choice pick and he’s raved about his performances this season.
“What I love the most in his career: he became better and better every year, more clinical,” Wenger told BeIN Sports.
“He does less quantity today, but he doesn’t lose quality, and that shows that he is not only a great talent but also a very intelligent player.
“He has found a good balance between obsession to score goals and giving the ball. We had a period between him and [Sadio] Mane, there were tensions, because everybody tried to score without passing the ball.
“He understands that to be really great he has to contribute and he has done that really well.”
0 Comments