Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has made the bold claim that he is as good as Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.





The 27-year-old, who completed a £31.7m switch to Arsenal from Barcelona in 2014, was formerly a teammate of Lionel Messi and also came up against Ronaldo numerous times during his three-season stay in Catalonia.

The Chile international became an instant fan favourite after his debut season in North London, in which he scored 25 times in all competitions.





Despite a dip in form at the tail end of last season, Sanchez still managed to score 13 Premier League goals, guiding Arsenal to a 2nd place finish behind eventual winners Leicester City.





Over the past eight seasons, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been widely considered to be the greatest players in the world, winning a multitude of individual awards in the process.

​

​But Sanchez believes his ability puts him on a par with the La Liga duo, claiming that he 'doesn't feel inferior to anybody'.

"I have the same abilities as Messi and Ronaldo" -Alexis Sanchez pic.twitter.com/1Tzzz5VTcB — Spark Sports (@Spark_Sports_) September 8, 2016

"I have reached a level where I can compete with great players." Sanchez told ​Barcelona-based newspaper Sport . "I do not feel inferior to anybody.





"I liken [my qualities] to Messi and Ronaldo. I have the same abilities as them."





The Arsenal winger appeared for Chile on Wednesday evening in a 0-0 draw with Bolivia. Despite dominating exchanges, Chile failed to break through a stern Bolivian defence.





The result puts Chile in 7th in the CONMEBOL Qualification group, two points behind Colombia who are occupying the final qualification place.





Sanchez will return from South America to appear for Arsenal this weekend, as the Gunners face Southampton at the Emirates on Saturday.