Ferdinand believes 21-year-old Man City transfer target is better than Odegaard

18 April 2024 , 20:16

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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard (Image: Dave Shopland/REX/Shutterstock)

Rio Ferdinand believes Jamal Musiala is better than Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, with the Germany international being targeted by Manchester City.

Musiala has starred for Bayern Munich since making his debut at the age of 17, just one year after he quit Chelsea to return to the country of his birth. Odegaard, meanwhile, has impressed since joining Arsenal from Real Madrid on an initial loan deal in 2021.

And ahead of Bayern's 1-0 win over Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, Ferdinand was asked to compare the two teams and pick the best player in each position by TNT Sports.

Both Musiala and Odegaard typically play in the no.10 role and Ferdinand opted for the Bayern star when asked to pick to between the two. Ferdinand's verdict comes after the Guardian reported that City are 'planning a big push' to try and sign Musiala this summer.

The report states City boss Pep Guardiola 'wants more options in attacking midfield' and Musiala is his top target. He is also said to be attracting interest from Chelsea, but reports from Germany state that Bayern have no desire to sell and are planning to open talks over a new deal.

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Ferdinand, meanwhile, has previously tipped Musiala as a future Ballon d'Or winner. Speaking ahead of Bayern's 3-0 win over Lazio last month, Ferdinand told TNT Sports: "He's a fabulous footballer.

"In a world where we talk about stats and data, he ticks that box, but it's on the eye test where he comes alive; the way he receives the ball, he's elusive, he rides a tackle and gets through traffic with HD.

Rio Ferdinand is a huge fan of Jamal Musiala (Getty Images)

"He's a fantastic footballer. I think the highest compliment I can give him is that I don't know where his ceiling is. Most players even at 20/22 years old, you go 'I think they are going to get to this level and that's them.'

"This guy has the potential to win the Ballon d'Or. I've said it before, he has the potential to do that if the path goes the right way for him and he's in a successful team. That's the platform and foundation for that."

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Matthew Cooper