“During our most recent training session, he was tasked with marking me after being promoted from the Academy to fill in for the injured Gabriel Magalhães. Honestly, I’ve never encountered such a fiercely aggressive Academy defender before. In my opinion, he’s even better than Gabriel,” Bukayo Saka says, showering praise on a newly promoted Academy defender who’s stepped up to replace the injured first-team star.

BREAKING: Bukayo Saka Heaps Praise on Academy Star Set to Make Senior Debut vs Real Madrid

In a stunning turn of events from Arsenal’s latest training session, Bukayo Saka has lavished praise on a newly promoted academy defender who is set to make his senior debut against Real Madrid next week. The young defender has been called up to replace Gabriel Magalhães, who is currently sidelined with an injury.

During a post-training media interaction, Saka didn’t hold back his admiration. “He was assigned to mark me in training after getting promoted from the Academy to step in for Gabriel,” Saka revealed. “I must confess—I’ve never seen such a dangerously aggressive defender come out of our youth ranks before. He’s fearless, sharp, and better than Gabriel’s current form, in my opinion.”

Though the club has yet to officially release the name of the promising defender, insiders suggest that the 18-year-old centre-back has been making waves in the youth setup for months. His consistent performances and no-nonsense style reportedly caught Mikel Arteta’s attention, leading to his sudden promotion.

What makes this moment even more special is that his senior debut will come in a blockbuster pre-season fixture against Spanish giants Real Madrid. A baptism of fire, no doubt, but one that could etch his name into the hearts of Arsenal fans if he rises to the occasion.

Arsenal supporters are already buzzing on social media, speculating who the defender might be and what this means for the squad depth moving into the season. With Gabriel’s injury causing concern at the back, the emergence of a talented and aggressive youngster offers hope—and perhaps a pleasant headache—for the coaching staff.

Saka’s praise, especially coming from one of the team’s brightest stars, has only added fuel to the excitement. “I’m just glad he’s making his debut against Madrid,” Saka added. “The world needs to see what he’s capable of.”

With just days to go before the Real Madrid clash, all eyes will be on Arsenal’s lineup. Will this academy gem live up to the hype? One thing is certain: a star may be about to rise at the Emirates.