Bukayo Saka declares he is ‘friends again’ with Robert Pires in tongue-in-cheek post after Arsenal legend brutally snubbed him for Premier League rival

Bukayo Saka has declared he is ‘friends again’ with Robert Pires after the Arsenal legend brutally snubbed him for a Premier League rival earlier this year.

Saka, who scored again in last night’s 2-0 win over PSG in the Champions League, was overlooked by Pires during a game of ‘winner remains’.

Pires, tasked with choosing between some of the top flight’s best wingers, stuck by Saka for much of the light-hearted round before selecting a surprise winner when asked to separate the Arsenal man and Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku.

After retiring, Pires then picked Doku, believing he had the edge in several areas.

But Saka appears to have buried the hatchet once and for all after sharing a photo of himself alongside Pires and accompanying it with a tongue-in-cheek caption.

Bukayo Saka jokingly declared he was ‘friends again’ with Arsenal legend Robert Pires

Saka took to social media to share a photo of him with Pires despite being rejected by him

Pires chose Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku over Saka in a ‘winner remains’ match

“Friends again,” the smiling forward wrote before adding a crying laughing emoji.

Pires gave his verdict on the match between Saka and Doku, saying: ‘Bukayo still lacks a certain level of consistency and experience, especially in the big games.

‘Maybe this season, especially in the Champions League, he will show a more convincing face than last season when it counts.

“For example, Manchester City’s Doku is a bit better in my opinion because he is technically stronger, has better dribbling skills and is more imaginative.”

However, ahead of the North London derby in September, Pires, 50, appeared to have performed a screeching U-turn in an Instagram post dedicated to Saka.

“I want to make it clear that I think @bukayosaka87 is a great player and that I have enormous respect for him,” the Gunners icon wrote.

‘A while ago I was asked to compare him with another player. I said the other player had better skills in some areas. This doesn’t mean the other player is better than @bukayosaka87. I really think Saka is better and a fantastic number seven.’

Pires joined Arsenal in 2000 and made 284 appearances over six years. He also helped the club win two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, scoring 84 goals and 62 assists and writing himself into Emirates folklore.

Pires (left) joined Arsenal in 2000 and was part of their famous Invincibles team

Pires, who is also Arsenal ambassador, has spoken highly of Saka on several occasions

He has spoken highly of Saka on a number of occasions, once claiming that he was one of the few players who could have played for the Invincibles.

In an interview with The Telegraph, he revealed that there were only three players who would have broken into the team: ‘I feel sorry for the children now, but I have no doubt about that.

‘I think the fans will give you the same answer: (Jens) Lehmann, Lauren, (William) Saliba, (Sol) Campbell, (Ashley) Cole, (Patrick) Vieira, Gilberto Silva, (Martin) Odegaard, Saka, ( Dennis) Bergkamp and (Thierry) Henry.’