Saka admits he misses Smith Rowe, Nelson, and Nketiah

Bukayo Saka has admitted it was hard to watch Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, and Eddie Nketiah leaving in one summer, but he’s wishing them well.

Arsenal academy product Ethan Nwaneri made his first senior appearance of the season against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, with a few more Gunners teenagers on the bench.

Yet had Emile Smith Rowe not joined Fulham this summer, he might have been the player to come on at the weekend.

If Reiss Nelson hadn’t joined the same club on loan and Eddie Nketiah hadn’t made a permanent exit to Crystal Palace, there might not have been space in the squad for Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, or Ayden Heaven.

The turnover was necessary. Arsenal’s youth players need those squad opportunities, and Smith Rowe, Nelson, and Nketiah need regular starts. Even so, Bukayo Saka admits it hasn’t been easy to lose the trio.

“Yeah, I’m not going to lie, I’ve missed them a bit you know,” Saka said.

“Since I came into the first-team they were kind of like my big brothers with the way they welcome me and stuff like that.

“So yeah, it wasn’t easy to see them all go, but at the same time, I’m really happy for them because they’re three top, top players with so much quality and I’m sure they’re going to shine in the Premier League this year.”

Things have certainly been going well for all three players this week. Smith Rowe provided an assist for Fulham, Nelson scored on his first start, and Nketiah also scored his first goal since the move.

Back at Arsenal, Saka has assists in four consecutive Premier League games, and Nwaneri has a realistic shot at his first Gunners start in the coming weeks.

So it’s understandable that there are some conflicted feelings, but it’s hard to argue that all parties aren’t benefitting from this summer’s business.