Martin Odegaard named Lionel Messi when asked to describe one of his Arsenal teammates in a single word.
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest player of all time, and countless players have been compared or likened to the Argentine over the years, for a plethora of reasons.
Martin Odegaard has now added another name to that list. The Arsenal captain brought up Messi when asked to describe one of his North London colleagues.
The Norwegian playmaker was asked to sum up a number of Arsenal figures with just a single word. Mikel Arteta was named “boss,” Bukayo Saka was credited as “Starboy,” and Gabriel Magalahaes a “beast,” whilst Declan Rice was labelled a “machine.”
Meanwhile, Odegaard also poked fun at Ben White, referring to the right-back’s “tan.”
However, when it came to Oleksandr Zinchenko, Odegaard made a far more surprising comment.
Martin Odegaard likens Arsenal ace Oleksandr Zinchenko to Lionel Messi
When asked by ESPN UK to define Zinchenko with one word, in a video clip posted to X, the midfielder simply said “Messi.”
Of course, in this regard, Odegaard was not referring to the Ukrainian’s goalscoring prowess. Zinchenko has only found the back of the net twice in 68 outings for the club, across all competitions.
Instead, it seems far more likely that Odegaard was highlighting the former Manchester City man’s technical ability. The left-back is a wizard with the ball at his feet. He is a supreme passer of the ball, comfortable in possession in confined spaces, and has the vision to launch Arsenal attacks from deep.
When the 27-year-old first arrived at the Emirates Stadium he was a revelation within Arteta’s system. Zinchenko adopted an inverted role at left-back, drifting into the middle of the park and bolstering the midfield unit. Here, his quality on the ball really allowed him to shine.
More recently, though, flaws in his game have seen his reputation suffer and his future come into question.
What next for Zinchenko at Arsenal?
The 66-cap Ukraine international slipped down the pecking order last season. Arteta seemed to lose faith in Zinchenko, and the player certainly struggled to produce his best form and was guilty of a number of defensive lapses.
However, Zinchenko has been handed a new squad number, one that means a great deal to him, in what would appear to be a show of faith from the club and an affirmation of their commitment to him.
He now needs to reward that faith by getting back to his best on the pitch.
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