4 reasons why Oleksandr Zinchenko is the perfect Mikel Arteta signing

This is a potential move that should excite every single Arsenal fan.

Oleksandr Zinchenko may not boast the ingenuity of Bernardo Silva, the ruthlessness of Kevin De Bruyne, nor the physique of Rodri, but his work in Manchester City’s ongoing reign of domestic dominance can’t be underplayed.

The versatile full-back has only ever played 20 Premier League games for City in a single season once (2020/21) and was limited to 15 league appearances last time out as his homeland was subject to an abhorrent invasion.

4 reasons why Oleksandr Zinchenko is perfect for Arsenal

The Ukrainian international is admired by Pep Guardiola, who recently hailed the player’s ‘positional intelligence, versatility and reliability’, and Arsenal have their work cut out if they’re to pull this deal off.

The Daily Mail’s Jack Gaughan was the first to report the Gunners’ interest in Zinchenko on Thursday night, but he confirmed that the club were yet to lodge a bid. Nor is it clear whether the player wants to depart the Etihad this summer.

However, Arsenal are considering a move and it’d be some coup if they were able to add the Ukrainian to their ranks this summer. Here are 4 reasons why.

1. Security in possession

Ambipedality, the ability to play off both feet, is something Mikel Arteta values greatly, and Zinchenko’s got it in abundance. The Ukrainian’s proficiency with both feet allows him to play at several angles and open up solutions in regards to ball progression that wouldn’t be feasible for a predominantly one-footed player.

It’s the fine margins that Mikel adores.

Zinchenko’s ambipedality is perhaps the crowning attribute in his stellar technical repertoire. He’s an excellent footballer who survived in Pep’s meticulous system at the Etihad due to the security he possesses with the ball. He doesn’t stand out physically, nor is he particularly athletic, but he’s secure, efficient and smart in possession. That’s exactly what Arsenal need.

Compared to full-backs over the past year in Europe’s top five leagues, Zinchenko sits in the 99th percentiles for progressive passes (7.63) and carries (9.06) per 90 minutes, the 98th for pass completion (88.6%) and 94th for shot-creating actions (3.29).

So not only will the versatile Zinchenko aid Arsenal’s already impressive build-up considerably, but he’ll also contribute greatly in the final third. He’s a fine crosser of the ball, and he registered four Premier League assists last season.

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