Pundit says 26-year-old Arsenal player is a ‘born leader’ within the squad

Arsenal have been told they have a born leader in the squad in the form of Ukrainian international Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Speaking on The Athletic Football Podcast, pundit Adrian Clarke shared his thoughts on the Arsenal squad.

It’s an incredibly exciting time to be an Arsenal fan right now.

Off the back of their best season in years, Mikel Arteta has moved quickly to impress his squad.

Kai Havertz provides a versatile option in midfield and attack and could slot into Granit Xhaka’s position.

Jurrien Timber will challenge Ben White for his position at right-back despite his fantastic campaign last year.

The marquee signing is Declan Rice who will immediately be a senior figure within the squad.

However, Clarke has pointed out that in Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal have another natural leader in the side.

Within weeks of joining the club, he was already leading team talks in the huddle and shouting at his teammates.

Even when Zinchenko isn’t on the pitch, he’s normally one of the most animated players on the side of the pitch.

Zinchenko a born leader at Arsenal

Speaking about Arsenal’s squad, Clarke said: “You talk about leaders, you’ve got guys who are natural leaders in their early 20s.

“[Martin] Odegaard, you’ve got Declan Rice now, Bukayo Saka I very much see as a leader, someone who can take responsibility.

“At the back, Gabriel [Magalhaes], [Oleksandr] Zinchenko is a born leader, no doubt about that.

“We’ve seen him speak out about issues outside of football with great eloquence.”

Zinchenko isn’t 100% fit right now, which has been a slight issue throughout his time at Arsenal.

However, his presence behind the scenes means he’s still an important player even when he’s not available.

Arteta started Jakub Kiwior in their opening friendly against Nurnberg and performed well, while Kieran Tierney’s future is still up in the air.

However, neither player can match Zinchenko when it comes to his importance to Arsenal right now, especially as a leader within the squad.