4 reasons why Oleksandr Zinchenko is the perfect Mikel Arteta signing

2. Killing two birds with one stone

Versatility is a key aspect of his game. He was signed by City as a number ten before being converted into a specialist full-back by Pep. However, he continues to play in midfield for Ukraine, and the City boss believes that his future lies in a more advanced role.

His role for the Cityzens is one that Fabian Delph performed diligently during the 2017/18 campaign. It’s a complicated function that has grown in complexity since Zinchenko rose to prominence. He’s essentially a faux midfielder considering the positions he typically occupies. Zinchenko will often drift infield to help City overload the second phase, but he’s also comfortable drifting out wide when the ball enters the final third.

Defensively, there are some questions, but there’s no doubting that he could perform as both a left-back and central midfielder if he was to sign for the Gunners. I’m sure Arteta would have a lot of fun utilising the Ukrainian in a plethora of roles. He’s a hybrid footballer, in essence.

His addition would be killing two birds with one stone as he could both provide cover for the injury-prone Kieran Tierney at left-back as well as the left centre-midfield spot the club desperately needs to bolster.

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