If Oleksandr Zinchenko leaves Manchester City this summer, he will be sorely missed.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, who played a key role in Manchester City’s dramatic comeback on the final day of the season, could be on his way out of the club this summer.
This was the most difficult season of Zinchenko’s career, with the Ukrainian midfielder turning left-back and having to perform at a high level despite the emotional turmoil caused by Russia’s invasion of his homeland. When the news of the invasion broke at the end of February, Zinchenko was determined to return to Ukraine to fight, but after convincing family and friends, he stayed and reminded everyone at City what a fantastic talent he is.
The desperate situation has arguably strengthened the bond between Zinchenko, the club, and the fans, whom the 25-year-old has thanked numerous times for their unwavering support. The harsh reality is that football players want to play regularly. Zinchenko appeared in only 15 Premier League games this season, and with Arsenal reportedly interested in signing him, he could be tempted to leave.
While Zinchenko is unlikely to start for City if everyone is fit and in form, he is undeniably one of Pep Guardiola’s most technically gifted players. Add to that his versatility (he can play in midfield and on the wing), work ethic, and desire to fight to the bitter end, and you have a player that any coach in the world would be happy to have in their squad.
While it’s easy to overlook Zinchenko when discussing City’s incredible talent, Kyle Walker isn’t one of them. In a recent interview with YouTuber Timbsy, the England right-back explained why City should try to keep his Ukrainian teammate.
Timbsy asked Walker to name the most technically gifted players at City while discussing the rondo drill that Pep famously uses in his training sessions. The 32-year-old named Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, and Zinchenko as the club’s three best technicians, in no particular order. The inclusion of Zinchenko surprised the host, as it did many of us, but Walker insisted that he is an underrated technician.
Walker described Zinchenko as ”
incredible… incredible.” “He’s so good at two touches and head tennis. But then you’re overlooking players like [Kevin] De Bruyne, Phil Foden, [Jack] Grealish, and [Joao] Cancelo. They don’t, however, come close to those three.”Walker is correct. Zinchenko would start for almost any other Premier League or top-tier European team – he’s just unfortunate that City has other fantastic options in his preferred positions.
Cancelo’s brilliance this season has ensured that the Ukrainian would have started many more games, but the presence of De Bruyne, Bernardo, and Ilkay Gundogan in the squad makes minutes in midfield impossible to come by.
Zinchenko’s technical and human qualities make him a manager’s dream, but his future will ultimately be determined by his desire to play more minutes. If he does, Guardiola will be unable to provide him with that guarantee, whereas a team like Arsenal will.
Rest assured, City will do everything to persuade Zinchenko to stay. He’s incredible, as Walker stated.
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