Arsenal have came a long way in terms of the squad quality and their performances in the past few years. From finishing near mid table to competing for the premier league title straight for 2 seasons, Mikel Arteta has indeed transformed the team. Throughout that transformation period, there have been many key players for the gunners. Although one player that stepped up massively is the team captain Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian player joined Arsenal permanently in 2021 from Real Madrid. Since then, he had been a crucial and integral player for the team. Throughout his career, Odegaard had his fare share of playing with or against some great players. He knows the potential of players and currently picks out one player from the Arsenal squad who is comparable to Lionel Messi. That player is none other than Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Arsenal and Zinchenko- how’s the journey been so far
Arsenal signed Zinchenko in 2022 from their rivals Manchester City. They paid a total transfer amount of £32million. Everyone at that time called this a superb signing by the Gunners. He was the kind of player who will improve the squad instantly and that’s what he did. The impact of Zinchenko was visible from his first game itself.
Zinchenko and other citizen player Gabriel Jesus who joined Arsenal had an instant impact on the team. They took the squad quality to another level and made them title challenger in that season.
Although, Zinchenko wasn’t able to recreate that same performance in 23/24 season. The Ukrainian received a lot of criticism from everyone for his defending in the matches. Despite that weak season, Zinchenko still is one of the best players in the squad. To prove that, he has the backing and the support of his teammates too.
What’s in the future for the Ukrainian and Gunners
Not just Arsenal players but everyone knows what Zinchenko is capable of in the attacking gameplay. He can surely create some magic with a ball on his feet. Arsenal’s captain Martin Odegaard also showed his appreciation and praises for his teammate.
On an interview with ESPN, Martin Odegaard played one word game related to his teammates. He was asked to describe his club teammates with only one word. When Zinchenko’s name came, Odegaard said, “Messi”.
This word defines how highly Arsenal player rates Zinchenko. Obviously Lionel Messi is one of the greatest player of all time and no one can easily be near his level. This comment just highlights the potential and the caliber Zinchenko has.
Zinchenko’s future at Arsenal was also in the news for quite some time. With a last disappointing season and the latest signing of Calafiori, everyone thought that Zinchenko’s chapter at Arsenal is over. However, Arsenal recently gave an indirect update on Zinchenko’s situation. They revealed that Zinchenko’s jersey number have been changed from 35 to 17 in the new season.
Zinchenko clearly has the potential to be one of the best player in his position. Also, the squad player believes and trust the Ukrainian. It is always a good idea to have a player like him available in the squad. Letting him go knowing his potential will be a mistake for any club. The good news is that Arsenal are not making that mistake.
The season ahead
Everyone will surely keep an eye on Zinchenko. Fans will be hoping for his return to his best form. Whereas, the rival fans may want this go exactly like this. No matter what happens, Arsenal are going in this season with again a quality squad. A threatening team for anyone who will face them.
It will be interesting to see if Mikel Arteta can actually lead his team to cross the finish line. Can he finally beat Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City for the title? Will City win their 5th continuous title? Or we will see a different winner this team. We will get to know this only with time.
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