Oleksandr Zinchenko impressed by "incredible" Arsenal star ahead of new season
Oleksandr Zinchenko has candidly said one of Arsenal's new stars is potentially "better than me" as the Gunners prepare for their Community Shield clash with Manchester City on Sunday.
Just five days before the Premier League season gets underway, Mikel Arteta's men will seek to lay down a marker when they take on the reigning champions at Wembley, following a summer where the manager has signalled his intent. More than £200million has been spent on new players, and the club are now pursuing a deal for Brentford keeper David Raya.
Declan Rice has been hailed as the marquee signing after arriving from West Ham for a club record £105m fee, whilst Kai Havertz has come on board from Chelsea for around £65m. But it is the capture of defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax that has got Zinchenko purring.
The highly rated Timber, 22, joined on a deal that could eventually be worth £38.5m. And his ability to play both as a central defender or a full back has seen him likened to his new Ukrainian teammate.
But Zinchenko himself seemingly rates him higher that that, telling Arsenal’s official programme: "Maybe he is [similar], but maybe better than me. "I’m sure he is 100 per cent going to show us what he can do, and will really help us.
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"I do know about him because I watched him and followed the way he played at Ajax. Also, I played against him for the national team so I know about him as a player, what amazing qualities he has, and now I know him off the pitch. He’s a great guy, another incredible signing for Arsenal who will help us a lot."
Jurrien Timber impressed on Arsenal's US tourHAVE YOUR SAY! Can Arsenal challenge Man City for the title again this season? Comment below.
Timber has already impressed amid a promising pre-season for the north London outfit, rounding off their US tour with a win over Barcelona. Back home, they retained the Emirates Cup on Wednesday despite being held 1-1 by Monaco, prevailing 5-4 on penalties.
And it's addition that Arteta knew he needed, with Arsenal's title bid arguably derailed last season by an injury to centre-back William Saliba which left them short of defensive cover. Already capped 15 times by Holland, Timber reportedly rejected the advances of the likes of Man United and Bayern Munich to make his move to the capital.
Arteta does have a new headache to deal with now though, following an injury to lead striker Gabriel Jesus. He's been ruled out of Arsenal's league opener with Nottingham Forest on August 12 after undergoing minor knee surgery.
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