Oleksandr Zinchenko makes bold claim about Arsenal teammate Jorginho, and even Mikel Arteta agrees

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Oleksandr Zinchenko believes that one thing sets Jorginho apart from the rest of his Arsenal teammates.

Mikel Arteta has constructed a well-balanced Arsenal squad. There is a real blend of youth and experience at the Emirates Stadium, and a collection of players who boast a lot of quality and have all bought in to the mentality that the manager has cultivated.

Jorginho is very much a senior figure in North London. The 32-year-old is a veteran amongst his peers, and that is reflected in his squad role.

The Italian can no longer start games week in, week out. There were also signs in pre-season that Jorginho is now in decline as a player.

However, he can still play a vital role for the Gunners on and off the pitch this season, as long as Arteta doesn’t find himself over-reliant upon the former Chelsea man’s ability to play a lot of football.

Behind the scenes, Jorginho can be relied upon to guide and instruct his younger teammates. On the pitch, he can still play an important pace-setting function. Jorginho is able to dictate the pace of matches with his passing game. Against certain opponents, this is a very useful quality for Arteta to have at his disposal.

Oleksandr Zinchenko certainly appreciates what the midfielder brings to the table.

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Oleksandr Zinchenko heaps praise on Arsenal teammate Jorginho

The Ukrainian defender has flagged up one attribute, beyond simple experience, that Jorginho can boast. The left-back also highlighted how this quality might benefit his colleague in his post-playing days.

Speaking to the official Arsenal website, Zinchenko said: “At the moment I would say the guy in the squad who would make the best manager in future is Jorginho. He has the best football brain. Everything he says really works, and I learn from him as well.”

The Arsenal manager himself would likely agree with this assessment. In the past, Arteta has called Jorginho the most intelligent player he has ever worked with.

Arsenal mentors

In line with his status in the squad, Jorginho has mentored Declan Rice in the past.

However, he is not the only Arsenal player to have been entrusted with such a role. Club captain Martin Odegaard has been a mentor to Ethan Nwaneri, too.

The Hale End academy wonderkid will have benefited hugely from the Norwegian playmaker’s guidance, and he is now on the verge of truly establishing himself in the first team.