"Fantastic player, just not world class yet" - Rio Ferdinand makes cheeky Bukayo Saka comment while on a plane with Arsenal supporters
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand recently doubled down on his comments on Bukayo Saka during a funny banter with Arsenal fans on a plane.
Ferdinand recently said on his Vibe With Five podcast on YouTube that while Saka is a great player, he isn't "world-class" yet. He said (via Football.London):
"Not yet. Listen, I think Saka's been unreal. I actually think he needs a bit of a rest, so many games for a young kid.
"But I think, it's almost like what is world-class? He hasn't done it in the Champions League, has he? I'm talking in the nitty-gritty stages. Saka's top, don't get me wrong. He's not world-class yet."
The Gunners' fans certainly didn't agree with the former England defender.
Arsenal are set to face FC Porto at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg on February 21. Some of the north London side's fans happened to share the flight with Ferdinand, who is also a TNT Sports pundit.
Fans chanted "Saka world-class" towards the Englishman, who then took the announcement microphone and said:
"Hello guys, I'd just like to say it's been an absolute pleasure travelling with the Arsenal fans. I must say Saka is a fantastic player, but just not world-class yet, he will be one day, but just not yet."
Saka, 22, has been excellent for the north London side over the years, scoring 53 goals and providing 53 assists in 211 games.
Arsenal prepare for big test against FC Porto in UCL
The Gunners have returned to the UEFA Champions League and did well in the group stages. They topped their group, comprising PSV Eindhoven, RC Lens, and Sevilla, with four wins, one draw, and one loss.
Arsenal will next face FC Porto, who also had an excellent group stage. They finished second in Group H, level on points with leaders Barcelona but behind on head-to-head. They won four and lost two of their games in a group that also had Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp.
The Gunners hold an edge over Porto in the head-to-head, having beaten them thrice in six previous meetings, with one draw and two defeats. Incidentally, the last time Arsenal reached the Champions League quarter-finals was in the 2009-10 season, when they beat Porto 6-2 in the last 16.
The Gunners have been in terrific form, having won their last five games with an aggregate score of 21-2. Porto have also been in good form, having lost just once in their last 10 games across competitions.