Bukayo Saka's 'super private' girlfriend, history with Dani Carvajal, £2.3m luxury pad

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka helped guide his boyhood club into the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday night.

The Gunners headed into the second leg of their quarter-final tie against with a three-goal advantage, but the club would have been wary of the reigning champions' ability to mastermind a famous night at the Santiago Bernabeu. nerves were tested after saw his 10th-minute penalty saved, providing the Spanish side with fresh belief.

However, the England international kept his cool when he found himself behind the Madrid backline in the 65th minute, calmly lifting the ball over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Real equalised moments later but failed to threaten Arsenal's aggregate lead before Gabriel Martinelli sealed victory for Arteta's side. It was a night to remember for Saka, who was also confronted by a Los Blancos icon during the match.

Carvajal clash

As the teams headed in at half-time, Saka was met by experienced full-back Dani Carvajal. The 33-year-old was not part of Carlo Ancelotti's team but found himself by the tunnel and confronted Saka as the players walked to the dressing room.

Carvajal grabbed Saka by the neck and also held his arm as he attempted to walk away. The incident with Carvajal ended when Arsenal players and other staff members intervened.

Spanish outlet has reported that Carvajal took issue with Saka's 'disrespectful' attempt at a panenka penalty. However, the experienced defender could now face a UEFA ban as he would not have been permitted to be around the technical area during the game and was later seen watching the second half from a corporate box.

It is not the first time Carvajal has taken issue with the Arsenal academy graduate. In last summer's Euro final, Carvajal tripped Saka at the start of a counter-attack. Saka and England captain Harry Kane protested for the full-back to be booked, but after the referee decided against a yellow card, Carvajal made a crying gesture in the pair's direction.

Private relationship

While Saka savoured steering Arsenal to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009, he was cheered on by his girlfriend Tolami Benson. The couple have been dating since 2020, and Tolami was seen enjoying the atmosphere at the Bernabeu with Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard's wife, Laura Trossard Hilven.

The 24-year-old was previously spotted supporting her partner throughout Euro 2024. has previously reported that Tolami and Saka are incredibly private about their relationship, indicated by the fact that they do not follow each other on Instagram or share photos together as a couple.

Tolami graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Public Relations and Media in 2022. She most recently worked as a senior planning executive but left the role in January, according to her LinkedIn profile. The 24-year-old also boasts 205k followers on Instagram.

New family home

Saka grew up in Greenford and joined Arsenal's academy at seven. While the Gunners signed up the promising youngster, Saka also honed his skills by playing against his dad and elder brother on the grass outside his family home in the borough of Ealing.

Saka left the family's semi-detached home in 2019 when he bought his first house in Hertfordshire. Moving closer to the club's London Colney training ground, the reported that Saka paid £2.3million for his six-bedroom mansion.

However, he wasn't away from his family for long, as they soon moved into the new property with the Arsenal forward. The house was already complete with a spa and walk-in wardrobes, but it soon underwent renovation work after Saka bought it.

He purchased the property shortly after turning 18, having signed his first professional contract a year earlier. Despite finding football success as a teenager, his parents stressed the importance of a good education, and he famously left school with four A*s and three As in his GCSEs.