Newcastle United and Everton have been offered the services of Oleksandr Zinchenko, with the left-back likely to depart Manchester City in the summer.
According to The Athletic, more clubs are vying for Oleksandr Zinchenko’s signature, with Newcastle United and Everton being offered an opportunity to land the versatile left-back in the summer transfer window. His situation at Manchester City could see the Ukrainian leave the club.
Oleksandr Zinchenko has been a terrific player for Manchester City but remains on the periphery of Pep Guardiola’s plans. Despite Benjamin Mendy being indefinitely suspended, the Premier League champions did not deploy the Ukrainian regularly at left-back.
Joao Cancelo played at left-back for most of the games, with Zinchenko making many appearances off the bench. However, a late-season surge got him sufficient minutes from the start, and the Ukrainian played a crucial role in Manchester City’s run-in to the title. However, heading into the summer, the club are open to selling the versatile defender for the right offer.
Manchester City are already looking to strengthen the left-back position and are linked with Brighton’s Marc Cucurella. If another full-back comes in, it would seriously jeopardise Zinchenko’s position in the team, which could prompt the Ukrainian to depart in the summer.
Arsenal have already shown their interest, as Mikel Arteta wants to reunite with the player he coached when working as Manchester City’s assistant manager. The Gunners boss wants to utilise Zinchenko as a backup left-back and primarily as a midfielder on the left side.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United and Everton could emerge as potential destinations for the 25-year-old, as Zinchenko has been offered to both clubs ahead of the summer window. Newcastle have yet to finalise a permanent deal for on-loan left-back Matt Targett, with competition increasing for the Aston Villa man. The Magpies are in the market for a new player in the position and may be tempted to look at Zinchenko’s situation.
Newcastle can match Manchester City’s financial demands, and Zinchenko could become a pivotal part of Eddie Howe’s team. The Magpies have sufficient strength in midfield, which could mean the Ukrainian will likely be deployed in defence. However, he could be a big part of a progressive project Howe is building at St James Park.
Meanwhile, Everton are reportedly in with a shot at signing Zinchenko. It could be a curious case as the Toffees only signed Zinchenko’s compatriot Vitaly Mykolenko in January. The left-back has grown into an important player for Frank Lampard’s side. Lampard needs reinforcements in midfield and could use a player like Zinchenko in the area.
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The big question is whether the versatile Manchester City defender will be open to moving into a team that just avoided relegation. It could be the case that Zinchenko is waiting on an update on Arsenal’s interest. The Gunners would be the ideal destination for the Ukranian among the three clubs, as he could hit the ground running under the familiar face of Arteta.
