Bukayo Saka
Arsenal · Forward · England · 687 min
Ballity Verdict
What makes this player special?
Bukayo Saka is at his best when the game opens into one-versus-one battles out wide. For Arsenal, that means stretch, isolation, and the ability to beat a full-back before the box gets crowded — not a pure chance-creation spreadsheet profile. The headline trait is playmaking winger.
Beyond the headline job, Saka remains plausible as poacher and raumdeuter. The secondary roles matter for how a coach can reorganise without changing the XI entirely.
On the pitch he has actually been used as RW / CF (#9). That matters: skill-set breadth is one thing; demonstrated deployment is another. Saka's authenticity claim starts from those minutes, not from a role board alone.
Sample size still limits how hard you can push the conclusions. The football idea is clear; the confidence should stay honest until a fuller season of minutes confirms it.
Why Ballity says this
- Midfield / role totality: playmaking winger, poacher, raumdeuter, wide runner
- Shown minutes: RW / CF (#9)
- No major weakness flags in the current profile
Receipts
- · Player Profile
- · Role Breadth
- · Deployment authenticity
- · Sample · limited
Position
Wide Forward
Appearances
11
Great+ roles
2
Age
24
Preferred foot
Left
Height
178 cm
Ballity insights
Peer context vs wingers — how often they get the ball and what they do with it. Separate from role tiers above. Attackers also split separation into on-ball (dribble-created) and off-ball (movement).
Usage rate
Share of team touches (non-GK) among wingers with match data.
12.4% team touches
Peer band · Low
Pool percentile
36.0%
Also 52.3 touches/90 (season aggregate).
Efficiency
Output quality per action for wingers.
28 score
Peer band · Average
Pool percentile
60.2%
On-ball separation
Dribble-created space and self-made shot quality.
46 score
Peer band · Elite
Pool percentile
94.8%
Off-ball separation
Movement-created space on assisted attempts.
50 score
Peer band · High
Pool percentile
75.9%
Balance & structural weaknesses
How complete this player is on the position's job board — strengths and holes.
How we define this
Two-way = Great+ on ≥2 complementary axes. One-way = every other route Limited/closed. Weak routes = Average holes on complementary axes.
No Elite/Great axis on this position's job board, so no weakness flag.
Defensive contribution
Proxy only · confidence: proxy — not a role tier
Proxy p63 · Actions p58 within winger peers
Stat profile
Within position peers — percentile shape (not role scores).
Versatility Index
Precise 0–100 score — cross-group breadth (67%) plus within-group depth (33%), quality-scaled by tier. Distinct from the shape card below.
Index
49.7
Breadth 30.2 · Depth 19.6
- ·Midfielders: Creator (Elite), Box Crasher (Elite), Carrier (Good)
- ·Wingers: Playmaking Winger (Great), Raumdeuter (Good), Wide Runner (Good)
- ·Forwards: Poacher (Good)
Versatility shape
Coarse directional pattern (Specialist / Dual-threat / Generalist) — not the 0–100 Index above.
Dual-threat
Great Dual-threatDistinct Great+
2 Great+ roles total
Where he plays
Positions with deployment evidence — not statistical guesses.
Natural
Role translations
Where the profile could fit. Tap a position — then see which role style suits it.
Select a position on the pitch to see the best role, alternatives, and evidence.
Role-by-role detail
How each role is scored. Expand a row for a radar of role-shaped stats.
Similar players
Shape match across winger roles — cosine similarity of role scores (domestic leagues only). Slot 1 is the best same-league match; the rest are the next closest from the full pool.
Harry Wilson
Fulham · PL 25/26
Closest roles
Playmaking WingerΔ15
RaumdeuterΔ8
Wide RunnerΔ20
Florian Wirtz
Liverpool · PL 25/26
Closest roles
- Playmaking WingerΔ16
- RaumdeuterΔ15
- Wide RunnerΔ22
Pablo Pagis
Lorient · Ligue 1
Closest roles
- Playmaking WingerΔ3
- RaumdeuterΔ13
- Wide RunnerΔ16