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Arsenal's new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko has joked at the idea that he looks similar to his former Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne. He hilariously claimed that he is much more handsome than the Belgian midfielder.
It is not difficult to make out the difference between the two from their frames, with the midfielder standing quite taller than the Ukrainian. However, their skin tones, hair color and facial features are close enough to cause a bit of confusion.
The 25-year-old has joined his Arsenal teammates on their pre-season tour of the US. He was also in attendance for their 3-1 friendly win against Orlando City on July 20.
He was in conversation with ardent Gunners fan Frimpon. The latter has been traveling with the squad in the US, bringing a lot of behind the scenes action to the viewers.
It was in this exchange with 'Frimmy' on Arsenal's YouTube channel that he built on the running joke of his resemblance to De Bruyne.
Frimpon revealed that he was being asked regularly if he knew whether the Ukrainian was going to sign for the north London club. To this, Zinchenko hilariously replied:
"Do they know that I'm not De Bruyne? Straight away I need to ask because maybe they're confused. You surprised me, you surprised me a bit. [The comparison] was just in the beginning. I'm much, much, much more handsome than him. We're not talking about football skills but come on, you cannot compare. He knows, he knows."
The Arsenal faithful will feel positive to see their new recruit settling well in the new environment at the club. Zinchenko is going to be very useful to Mikel Arteta due to his versatility to play both as a left-back and in midfield. He can challenge left-back Kieran Tierney and Gunners midfielders for their starting spot.
The £32 million the Emirates outfit has paid for the Ukrainian looks like a value-for-money deal on paper. He has won four Premier League titles, playing 76 matches for City and holds decent Champions League experience.
Arsenal fans will be delighted after hearing Zinchenko's praise of the club
In his conversation with Frimpon, the former Manchester City player also opened up about his feelings for the Gunners. He shared why he was attracted to the idea of representing them. He even mentioned two players who impressed him the most and his mentions are bound to hit a chord with most Arsenal fans.
Zinchenko said:
"First of all I would like to say this is a boyhood dream come true, because I was a massive fan when I was a kid. Since Thierry Henry and young Cesc Fabregas was playing here, I was just enjoying watching those games, that Arsenal. And obviously I started to love this club, so I am so excited and I cannot wait to play for this amazing club."
