As you may have heard, it seems Oleksandr Zinchenko is close to swapping Manchester City for Arsenal.
A £30m fee has been agreed between the Gunners and the Citizens for the Ukraine international, and now, the north Londoners just need to finalise the 25-year-old’s contract.
Zinchenko will follow Gabriel Jesus from the Etihad Stadium to the Emirates Stadium, although there are many question marks over where the Ukrainian will actually play.
The Manchester City No.11 is capable of operating at left-back, as well as in the centre of midfield.
Interestingly, Zinchenko has already told Mikel Arteta where he would prefer to be used.
What’s the story?
Well, during a Q&A session with Kevin De Bruyne in Manchester, Zinchenko was asked what his favourite position is.
Speaking on Manchester City’s YouTube channel, he responded: “I am not that fast, like I wish, so I prefer to play in the middle.”
Throughout his career, Zinchenko has made 123 appearances at left-back, but only 39 outings in the middle of the pitch.
In our view, that is mainly because Pep Guardiola has been blessed with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and others, whereas his left-back department has not been as bloated.
Oleksandr Zinchenko will hope Kieran Tierney stays fit at Arsenal
As things stand, Zinchenko is set to get his wish of playing in the middle, with Kieran Tierney close to regaining full fitness during pre-season.
However, the Scotland international is very prone to injuries, and if he suffers further problems in the 2022/23 campaign, Zinchenko may have to move away from his preferred position to cover at left-back.
Of course, Nuno Tavares can play at left-back, although Arteta is supposedly looking to sell the Portuguese defender after a wobbly debut campaign in England.
Be sure to keep an eye on this saga, as Zinchenko could even be announced next week, in our view.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
