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Oleksandr Zinchenko set for Manchester City exit after £30m + £2m agreement reached with Arsenal
Oleksandr Zinchenko is set to depart Manchester City after six years, with Arsenal agreeing a £30 million + £2 million deal with the Premier League champions for the Ukrainian in a move that will see him link up with Gabriel Jesus, who joined the Gunners in a £45 million deal a few weeks ago.
On Friday morning, it emerged that Arsenal were expected to sign Zinchenko from the Blues, with Jack Gaughan at the Daily Mail reporting that the two clubs were thrashing out a deal with the hope that the financials were agreed in the following days.
It has now been reported by David Ornstein of The Athletic that the two sides have agreed on a £30 million + £2 million in achievable add-ons deal for the senior Ukraine international, who was reportedly valued at £35 million by Pep Guardiola's side.
Ornstein reports that Arsenal are now finalising a deal for the player after reaching an agreement in principle with him on a four-year deal.
It was reported at the end of May that Mikel Arteta's side were interested in signing the player, who was keen on securing regular game time after being reluctant to leave the Etihad Stadium in previous years, with the north London outfit also more likely to offer him a midfield berth.
Zinchenko was signed by City from FC Ufa in 2016 for a reported fee between £1.4 million and £1.7 million, having applied his trade as an attacking midfielder and forward in the seasons prior to his arrival.
The 25-year-old has gone on to establish himself as a reliable and popular figure within Guardiola's squad as a left-back, initially deployed in the Centurions season as an emergency left-back option before enjoying sustained success in the position during the following season and the 20/21 campaign that saw him start in the club's first Champions League final.
The senior Ukraine international will leave Manchester as a four-time Premier League winner as well as a four-time League Cup winner, with two Community Shield medals to add to his one FA Cup triumph.
Zinchenko joins Jesus and Raheem Sterling in departing the club as first-team stars after making 127 appearances for the club, scoring twice and assisting a further 12 – most notably for Rodri's equaliser against Aston Villa on the final day of the 21/22 Premier League season; a game in which the left-back's introduction at half-time sparked the side's change in fortunes.
Having signed the Zinchenko for a fee under £2 million six years ago, the £30 million + £2 million fee agreed represents an immensely healthy profit – and shows the potential the City Football Group system has for emerging talent.
City are expected to reinvest the money in a replacement, with Brighton's Marc Cucurella the club's preferred target at left-back.
Written by: @NA1907_
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