Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko leaks frosty text from ex-Man City team-mate

Some footballers will go the extra mile to assist a former colleague even after they've parted ways – but isn't one of them.

The ace spent half a decade in the same dressing room as Oleksandr Zinchenko, together clinching four titles, four Carabao Cups and an . However, Zinchenko has shed light on how their rapport shifted after he made the move to join Premier League rivals in 2022.

In a snippet from Zinchenko's new autobiography, Believe, he detailed how he sought help from his old team-mate during the summer.

The Ukrainian was enjoying a holiday in the south of France and reached out to former Monaco midfielder Silva for suggestions on training spots in the region. But his old ally was far from helpful, reports .

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"I saw on that Bernardo Silva was there as well. I texted him, asking if he knew a pitch to do some exercises," the excerpt read. "He wrote back saying, 'for what, do you need a pitch?'

"'I need to run,' I replied. He wrote back, 'run? For what? You're going to try to win the Premier League again? Forget about it. Stay at home'."

Zinchenko, 27, continued to reveal that he later showed City star Jeremy Doku exactly what his team-mate had said. And the Belgian was simply "laughing his head off" at just how ruthless Silva was in his messages.

Many supporters will likely be unsurprised upon hearing that serial winner Silva isn't one for holding back, even when facing his former team-mate. Silva's trophy-laden journey has seen him lift titles with Benfica in Portugal and Monaco in France before making a name for himself at City.

The 30-year-old's competitive edge shone through once again following September's 2-2 draw between City and Arsenal. In dramatic fashion, Guardiola's side rescued a point deep into stoppage time after Arsenal – having given City tough competition over recent Premier League campaigns – had been reduced to 10 men before the break.

Also commenting on how City's rivalry with Arsenal compares to their battles with , Silva didn't mince his words either, saying: "The difference? Maybe that Liverpool have already won the Premier League, Arsenal haven't. That Liverpool have won the , Arsenal haven't."

He went on to add: "Liverpool always faced us face to face to try to win the games, so from this perspective the games against Arsenal haven't been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool. So yes, maybe a different rivalry."

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