Arsenal ace compared to Lionel Messi in sensational praise as Arteta admits he’s ‘another level’ to teammates

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has responded to comparisons made between Ethan Nwaneri and Lionel Messi, as the Gunners boss revels in the teenager’s rise to stardom while Martin Keown has also given his verdict on the winger.

Nwaneri has emerged as one of the best young players in the Premier League this season and has established himself as an important figure in the Arsenal team. The 17-year-old attacker has scored seven goals and given one assist in 24 matches in all competitions for the north London club so far this campaign.

Arteta included Nwaneri in Arsenal’s starting lineup for the Premier League match against Leicester City away from home at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

The Gunners won the match 2-0, with the 17-year-old, who started on the right of a front-three in a 4-3-3 formation, providing an assist.

Joe Cole was following the match for TNT Sports, and the former West Ham United and Chelsea star was so impressed with Nwaneri that he compared the Arsenal teenager to the great Lionel Messi.

Cole said: “You can’t mark him because he can go both ways. These little touches he produces in and around the box, I don’t even want to say it but it’s like Messi. I’ve said it.

“I’m not trying to put any more pressure on the kid’s shoulders, even though I’m sure he’d deal with it, but the touches he makes as he receives the ball off the back foot, entices the defender and the touch off the top of the toe to put them off balance…

“He plays with such confidence and he’s a beautiful player. Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have to protect him.”

After the match, Arteta was asked in his press conference about those comparisons.

The Arsenal boss responded: “Well, what he’s showing basically, that’s him. Obviously, his age is always something that puts a question mark on how we have to deal with him.

“But every sign that he’s given us is ‘Let me go for it, let me go, let me go, let me go.’ When a player is giving you all those signs, you should not stop it.

“You have to play with that freedom, with that creativity, with that confidence that he’s playing at the minute, and the players around him believe in him. So let him go because he’s a massive threat, massive talent and he deserves to play.”

It was then pointed out to Arteta that until Mikel Merino came on, Nwaneri looked like Arsenal’s most dangerous player.

The Arsenal boss noted: “Yeah, because I think I was one of the few in the first half as well that every time he was on the ball he made things happen.

“You could see that he had another level of threat than the rest of the team and he continued with that in the second half with two great actions and after that he put the ball on the plate for Mikel to score the header.”

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Martin Keown says Ethan Nwaneri is like Bukayo Saka

Arsenal legend Martin Keown was also following the match for TNT Sports.

The pundit was impressed with Nwaneri too and compared him with Arsenal and England international winger Saka.

Keown said: “It’s almost like Saka. It’s a huge leg-up for the club. You lose Saka and you’ve almost got his twin out there.

“This young man, I thought he was immense. He’s so confident and he steps into the ball and he’s aggressive when he travels with it.

“He looks so assured for such a young man. His decision-making is different class.

“His skillset, the pace, he’s assured in possession, he’s confident, he’s determined, hits it off his left foot, hits it off his right just as well and it’s all there. Boy, do we need him.”

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Arsenal have been sensationally linked with a move for Harry Kane.

Reports have claimed that Arsenal have already expressed interest in signing the former Tottenham striker from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window.

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The Gunners are claimed to have made contact over a potential deal for Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui.

Arsenal’s Premier League rivals Manchester United are also interested in Retegui.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Arsenal manager Arteta is obsessed with signing Alexander Isak.

The Newcastle United star is one of the best strikers in the Premier League, and Italian journalist Romano has claimed that Arsenal are keen to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.

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