In a recent interview, Arsenal midfielder Martin Ødegaard simply responded “Messi” when asked to describe one of his fellow Gunners.
Ødegaard signed for Arsenal in 2021, having initially been on loan at the club in the same year from Real Sociedad.
He has made over 120 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners in that time, scoring 30+ goals already and solidifying his place as a creative centre-piece of their midfield.
In a recent interview with ESPN, the Norwegian was asked to use a single word to describe each of his Arsenal teammates, and when Oleksandr Zinchenko’s name was read out, he responded with “Messi”.
Zinchenko is a well-known name amongst football fans worldwide, but Ødegaard’s comparison with GOAT Lionel Messi could be considered a little grandiose.
The 27-year-old Ukrainian joined the Gunners in 2022, having previously made his mark on the Premier League with Man City between 2016-2022, winning the title 4 times (albeit whilst on loan for one), as well as the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Community Shield.
He has also represented Ukraine since U16 level, making 66 appearances for the senior national side, scoring 9 times, and was even named Ukranian footballer of the year in 2019.
His teammate, Martin Ødegaard says he has been a fan of Zinchenko’s for a long time. Prior to the Gunners signing the Ukrainian, Ødegaard had the following to say of him:
“I think he’s a really great player. I think he can play both positions, sometimes as a left-back and midfield, I think he can even play as a winger. He can play different positions so I think he will be a great addition to the squad.”
“I’ve seen him play a lot and I really like his qualities”
It can’t be argued that Ødegaard is right in saying that Zinchenko brings a lot of great footballing qualities to the table, but we’re not quite convinced that he can be named amongst the likes of Lionel Messi just yet!
