Martin Odegaard has one word to describe his teammates and one of them is Lionel Messi

There have been plenty of 'next Lionel Messis' over the years, but no-one could have expected the latest comparison Martin Odegaard has made.

He Arsenal The captain himself has been compared to many of the game's greats, and made his name in his native Norway at just 15, as the world's top teams chased him.

Finally signed for real Madridand although it didn't work out, he has now reached the top of the game as captain of Arsenal.

So when asked for one word to describe each of his Gunners teammates, his opinion was certainly valid, but perhaps unexpected.

Highlights of the social clip included Gabriel Magalhaes being called a “beast,” Declan Rice being called a “machine,” and Ben White Just by activating the word “tan”.

However, the word 'Messi' was not reserved for one of Arsenal's world-class strikers like Bukayo Saka or Gabriel Martinelli, but instead Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The versatile defender-midfielder hybrid certainly had games where he was a nightmare for opposing managers, particularly under Pep Guardiola. Manchester City before moving to Arsenal in 2022 for £32m.

However, it is not just Zinchenko's position that raises eyebrows when compared to Messi, but also his form, which fell considerably out of favour last season.

Arriving at Mikel Arteta's starting left-back, the Ukrainian saw Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jaku Kiwior playing out of position to his advantage at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Now he has a Jurrien Timber in top form and a new signing Ricardo Calafiori to fight for, but it seems the 27-year-old isn't going anywhere.

As a sign of his commitment to the club, Zinchenko has assumed a new jersey number During the summer holidays, going from number 35 to number 17.

Explaining the change, he said: “The number 17 is a very special number to me.

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“It was the number I wore when I was young and I always asked to wear 17 when I played for my country.

“With 17 free since Cedric left, I asked if I could change and thanks to everyone at the club for supporting me.

“It is also very important to say that if anyone has bought this season's new shirt directly from the club with my name and number 35, they can exchange it for my new number.”