Why Bukayo Saka is not world class as Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia comparison made

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is not yet world class and must match the numbers of two Paris Saint-Germain stars to obtain that status, Jermaine Pennant has told Sports Mole in an exclusive interview.

The England international has been among the goals in the early stages of the 2026-27 season, finding the back of the net for the third time in four Premier League games during Saturday's 2-0 win over Sunderland.

Saka previously struck against Coventry City and Aston Villa and now boasts a total of 165 goal involvements in 318 games for the Gunners, 84 of his own and 81 assists.

However, debate continues to rage over whether the 25-year-old can truly be considered world-class, as he has failed to score more than 12 goals in all competitions during his most recent two full campaigns.

Despite his Arsenal connections, Pennant does not believe that Saka has reached that level just yet, instead pointing to the levels reached by Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

“I think there’s potential to be world class, but you’ve got to look at numbers," Pennant said. "If you look at people who we’re talking about in the same position - [Ousmane] Dembele, who’s going on to win the Ballon d’Or, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - that’s world class.

“Is Bukayo Saka in the same conversation as those two players? I don’t think so. Until he reaches those numbers, until he’s doing what they’re doing week in, week out.

"Albeit in a different league, but you still see it in Champions League games, you still see it for the national team - until we see that, I don’t think you can say he’s world class.

“Can you say he’s a great player? Absolutely. The world’s best? Not just yet. Can he get there? Yeah, of course he can. But is he? No.”

Using data from the 2025-26 league campaigns, Saka does not stack up to Dembele or Kvaratskhelia in an attacking sense, making Pennant's claim all the more justifiable.

In fact, the only category that the Arsenal man triumphs in is aerial duels won per 90 minutes, as Dembele leads the way for both goals and assists per 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, Kvaratskhelia tops the charts for dribble attempts and successful dribbles per 90, as well as shots, shots on target and shots on target %, for which Saka ranks third of the three.

The PSG duo bettered Saka's numbers despite playing fewer minutes than the Hale End graduate, who will care little about the world-class label so long as Arsenal win more major honours.

Jermaine Pennant was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of NetBet Casino.

Get FREE daily news and in-depth previews for games from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football — straight to your inbox.