Arsenal star Bukayo Saka to be dropped from role, following new signing's arrival: report

Arsenal talisman Bukayo Saka is to be dropped from a duty by manager Mikel Arteta – in favour of a new signing.

That's according to reports following the Gunners' first game of the season, in which despite putting in an uninspiring performance, Arsenal came away with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

With Leeds United and Liverpool looming before the transfer window closes, there are still big decisions to be made by Arteta – yet one huge move has apparently already been decided.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reportedly made a huge Bukayo Saka call

Ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right wingers in the world right now, Bukayo Saka has gone from an academy product to Arsenal's most important player, with the club's form dropping off last term when the winger suffered a serious hamstring injury.

Arteta has sought to improve his side's frontline this summer and surround Saka with players who can support him, with Noni Madueke signed to ease the burden on the right wing and Viktor Gyokeres signing as another option up front – but now, reports from Sweden claim that the striker may be about to take one of Saka's key roles in the side.

Sportbladet says that Gyokeres has been given the role of penalty taker for the coming season, having scored all 20 he took last term for Sporting.

Saka, in comparison, has only taken 14 in his senior Arsenal career, assuming spot-kick duties in 2021 after infamously seeing the decisive penalty for England in the Euro 2020 final saved by Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Since 2021, Saka has only been unsuccessful from 12 yards twice – against West Ham United in 2023 and earlier this year against Real Madrid, when he saw his Panenka caught by Thibaut Courtois.

While the 23-year-old's overly casual pen could perhaps have caused Arteta to rethink Saka's role from the spot, FourFourTwo believes that this report is far more nuanced than simply Saka being dropped from duties entirely.

Firstly, Arsenal have signed a penalty specialist before in Jorginho – and in his two years in N5, the Italian international never took a spot-kick, with Saka still favoured.

Over the years, Martin Odegaard has stepped up for the role, too, while Kai Havertz was given a confidence-boosting penalty against Bournemouth in 2023, with Saka seemingly unfazed by sharing it around with his team-mates.

Besides, Arsenal were awarded just two penalties in the Premier League in the entirety of the season, so we may not even find out for a while who's given the responsibility.

Saka is worth €150 million, according to Transfermarkt.