Bukayo Saka Names Mesut Ozil As His Greatest Teammate

There’s no doubt that Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have got themselves a world-beating winger in Bukayo Saka, who has taken senior football by storm after graduating from the club’s academy ranks in 2019. Luckily for the 24-year-old, at club level and on the international stage too, he’s played alongside plenty of top stars but, in his eyes, England’s talisman Harry Kane isn’t his all-time best teammate.

Initially a left-back, Saka – now widely considered to be one of the best wingers in world football – has stamped his authority on the capital club’s right flank berth and, without him in the team, there are obvious downfalls. They miss that unpredictability, a source of creativity from wider positions and, most of all, his deft movement beyond the defenders.

At the time of writing, he’s plundered 147 goal involvements (76 goals and 71 assists) in 277 outings across all competitions for Arsenal and whether they’d be challenging – in the form of finishing runners-up – in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons without him is highly unlikely. His talent must make him a joy to play alongside, but who does the London-born star believe is his best-ever teammate?

Harry Kane Snubbed as Bukayo Saka Names Best-Ever Teammate

When Saka rose through the ranks and made his breakthrough into senior proceedings, Arsenal were not in a good state. With now-Aston Villa boss Unai Emery at the helm at that point, the fleet-footed forward made his first-team debut on November 29, 2018, as the capital club faced Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League.

Replacing Aaron Ramsey in the 66th minute, he played alongside Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Emile Smith Rowe on that occasion – but the level of talent on show at the Emirates Stadium has improved year-on-year. Think Alexander Lacazette, Martin Odegaard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as prime examples.

Saka is also an important piece of the puzzle on the international stage and his exploits for the Three Lions have seen him play with Kane, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham. But none of the aforementioned septet were involved in the conversation when Saka was asked – by BBC Radio 5 Live – about his greatest teammate of all time.

“Maybe Mesut Ozil. High quality player, man,” the Ealing-born star said before the report reminded him that he was still in the infant stages of his career when the German magician was dazzling for the Gunners. “You were quite young when he was at Arsenal, so what was it like coming into Arsenal and playing with him?” the reporter asked, to which Saka replied:

Saka and Mesut Ozil’s spells overlapped in the concluding stages of the latter’s career in north London, and they played just 17 times together in the same team. First in 2018/19 as Arsenal beat Qarabag 1-0 in the Europa League and finally, in the following campaign, when a 1-0 win over West Ham United in the Premier League was on the cards.

Ozil, commonly admired as one of the best passers of a football in history, moved to Arsenal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 for a £42.5 million fee, and he went on to score 44 goals and notch a further 77 assists in 254 outings. Throughout his stint, he won the FA Cup on four occasions before leaving in January 2021.

Saka also dived deeper into some other questions as he was also quizzed about a favourite career goal of his. “My favourite goal is still my goal against Manchester United at the Emirates,” the Englishman said before pointing out that Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo is who he would describe as his ‘best friend in football’.

“Maybe my World Cup debut. To score two, obviously you know the hype and the talk and the build-up to the game is quite long from when the season ends to the first game – so it was really nice to start that way,” Saka added when asked about his favourite moment in football. Though, at just 24 years of age, he has plenty of years left in the tank to make newer (and fonder!) memories.

All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 18/11/2025