Hoffenheim boss believes Arsenal star can be as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

What's the story?

Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann has expressed his belief in Arsenal teenager Reiss Nelson, stating that the 18-year-old has the potential to be as great as five-time Ballon d'Or winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In case you didn't know...

Nelson left the Emirates to move to German club Hoffenheim on a season-long loan after signing a three-year contract extension with Arsenal in August.

The teenager has since shown off his impressive form in the Bundesliga, having scored five goals in six appearances for Hoffenheim.

Nelson's latest goal came in Hoffenheim's clash against Bayer Leverkusen where his side won 4-1.

The goal came in the form of a fantastic curling shot and has been revealed to involve a bit of tactical genius.

Nelson told The Independent, "The coach told me they fall asleep at corners, so we played it short, they were slow to close me down and I had plenty of space."

The heart of the matter

Hoffenheim boss Nagelsmann has heaped praise on the youngster, saying he can be as good as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Arjen Robben.

Speaking of Nelson's potential (via The Independent), Nagelsmann said, "He has great potential to develop. That’s why we loaned him in the first place. He’s an incredible player in one-on-one situations."

"It’s about growing in a healthy fashion for young players. It’s like being a musician. One good song can put bread on the table for a few weeks but it’s not about just being a one-hit wonder. It’s about being stable for a long time, in the best case doing that over the course of 15 years."

"If you want to be a great player, like to name a few examples, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arjen Robben or Lionel Messi, being able to perform at the top for over a decade. So he’s got to work hard now."