"You think he's a non-league player" - Pundit makes claim about Lionel Messi's body language while talking about Arsenal target

Arsenal could make a shock move for Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane, with former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann comparing him to Lionel Messi. The pundit has advised the Gunners to give the 29-year-old a pay-as-you-play contract, as they push to sign him this summer.

Bayern aren't likely to offer Sane fresh terms this summer, with the Germany international's performances having fallen flat in recent months. However, Hamann believes Sane remains an attractive proposition. He also suggested that body language is not always a great indicator of what a player is feeling, and cited Lionel Messi as a counterexample.

The pundit said to PokerScout (via Express):

"Leroy Sane’s consistency has been a problem with Bayern Munich. This is why he probably won't get offered a new contract. However, I think if you give him a performance-based contract, you’d have a brilliant player on your hands. That's what I would do. I heard that Arsenal are interested and I wouldn’t be surprised if that's the case.

"I think he's a good kid. I think some people read too much into body language, if you look at Lionel Messi's body language you think he's a non-league player. So I don't give too much thought to that, I think he's a good kid. The fact is he's not been consistent enough, but that doesn't mean he won't be for Arsenal next season."

Sane was previously coached by Mikel Arteta, as the Arsenal boss worked alongside him at Manchester City. A reunion may be seen as a low-risk, high-reward opportunity by the Gunners’ defence-minded tactician.

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When former Arsenal goalkeeper shared Lionel Messi memories

Wojciech Szczesny might now be a Barcelona player, but the Polish goalkeeper has not forgotten how Lionel Messi haunted him. The former Arsenal shotstopper, who had signed last year to fill in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, described the imprint Messi made on his career.

In 2024, Szczesny acknowledged that the Argentine was the sole player to truly frighten him, telling Mundo Deportivo (via Football.London):

"I think Leo only scored three [against me]. I remember because he only sent me three beers! There are probably other players who have scored more against me, but he was the only one I was actually afraid to play against. Because he was that good."

Those goals were scored when Szczesny played for Roma and Juventus. Now at Camp Nou, the goalkeeper has opted to continue his career in a stadium that Messi called home for nearly three decades.