From Mancester to London
New Arsenal signing Oleksander Zinchenko bid farewell to Manchester City fans on Friday afternoon, ahead of official confirmation of his move to London. In a heartfelt video showcasing his time at the club, the Ukrainian international thank fans of the Premier League champions for their support alongside a simply but moving caption: “Forever in my heart.” Having already agreed terms with the North London side, all that remains are formalities before Zinchenko completes a £30 million (€35m) move to the club and joins Mikel Arteta’s side. Arsenal confirmed the transfer later that evening.
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Although the 25-year-old defender has struggled for consistent game time under Pep Guardiola in recent seasons, Zinchenko has proven to be an exceptionally useful squad player for Man City and it will be that ability to play in a number of positions that will help him fit in well at Arsenal. Whether at left-back, on the left wing or even in central midfielder, the Ukraine international will undoubtedly be offered more game time at his new club.
Zinchenko’s proposed transfer fee will not only make him the second most expensive Ukrainian player ever, following Andriy Shevchenko’s €43.9m move to Chelsea in 2006, but will also take Arsenal’s summer spending to an impressive €132m, following the arrival of other stars such as Gabriel Jesus and Fábio Vieira. A figure which would make the London club the biggest spenders in the transfer window to date.
The move will also be indicative of a wider trend at Man City too. Following on from the sale of Jesus, as well as Raheem Sterling’s €56.2m move to Chelsea and a number of other back-up players, the English champions are set to see their income from player sales surpass €150m for the summer. Which would see the Etihad side stretch their lead at the top of the table when it comes to income from player transfers. And put them more than €40m ahead of the second biggest sellers in Ajax, who have so far raised €107.8m from player sales.
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