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Gantavya Adukia

Bukayo Saka Begins News Hair Era With Dramatic Buzzcut Look

Arsenal, Body Talk, Bukayo Saka

The one time of the year all football fans dread is here. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup over and the Premier League yet to start, they have to go weeks without competitive football until the latter kicks off on August 21.

However, the fear runs deeper than just action-less weekends. The brief off-season can often dictate how the upcoming season shapes up for wide-ranging reasons.

It could be a terrible jersey release. A change of managers that seems destined for disaster. Player arrivals and departures threatening to make or break the season.

Or the worst of them all – the club’s star player changing their look to go from being a heart throb and icon, to feeling like a stranger.

Just ask the Gooners. After lifting the Premier League last season to end a two-decade plus drought, Arsenal are gearing up to go back-to-back under manager Mikel Arteta.

However, the face of the franchise, Bukayo Saka, has put a little dampeners in the work if only from a style point of view. The winger posted an Instagram story recently revealing a fresh look that has left fans questioning his life choices.

Saka has gone from a loud Afro high top trimmed at the sides to what can barely be described as a buzzcut. Some might fairly argue the 24-year-old’s fresh look qualifies more as bald than any hairstyle at all.

The hairdo is certainly the dream of every mother, at least those of an African or South Asian descent as is the case for Saka. The clean no-nonsense look makes him look like a innocent young boy prepared for his first day of high school rather than a professional football earning millions, good enough to be the latest template of the “good boy” persona.

Saka’s contributions to England winning bronze at the recent World Cup were quickly forgotten in the reveal’s atftermath. A flurry of trolling online and hilarious outlash from his fans ensued, who made sure their voices reached the forward.

Saka even became the latest holder of a new nickname paying tribute to his Nigerian roots. Unfortunately, his latest christening translates to a rather unflattering ‘bald head’.

The subtle hairdo evoked comparisons ranging from LeBron James to Trevor Chalobah. Portuguese full back Nuno Tavares, who was associated with Arsenal for four years and played along side Saka, tried to take the cake by commenting Sadio Mane. He was not far off as Saka definitely bears a stark resemblance to the Liverpool legend after his latest transformation.

However, the most uncanny of the lot was a juxtaposition with internet celebrity KSI of Sidemen fame, from his golden FIFA streaming days.

Not all the banter was outright brutal though, with some being more pragmatic and in search of a silver lining. As one fan put it, maybe this is what was required for Saka to get over his muscle concerns. Over the last three years, he has suffered at least five such injuries, including one that kept him out for over three months.

It has not been all negative though. Saka would be relieved to know some supporters see it as a signal from him to step his game up to the next level and fulfill expectations.

Football has a rich legacy of the phenomenon, be it through ‘noodle hair Cristiano‘ or the infamous 2002 ‘tuft cut Ronaldo‘.

Saka will hope fans get used to seeing him in his new avatar by the time new season rolls around, with Arsenal set to kick off their premier League campaign against Coventry City at the Emirates in three weeks’ time.

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