Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed he broke down in tears when Mikel Arteta left his coaching role at Manchester City for the manager's position at Arsenal in December 2019. The pair's relationship was so strong that the Spanish head coach felt compelled to bring the Ukraine international with him to north London in the summer of 2022, with this move proving a key component of Arsenal's subsequent Premier League title tilt.
Reflecting on their time together in Manchester, Zinchenko confessed to his emotions getting the better of him when the Spaniard vacated his role. "I remember when Mikel was leaving City, I didn't hold my emotions. I couldn't because this guy was so special to me," he told the Daily Mail.
"He taught me a lot, as a human being he was incredible and the way he was working with us young players after every single training session, the advice he was giving everyone, was something incredibly important for me."
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The 26-year-old went on to admit he only had eyes for joining Arsenal if he ever left the Etihad Stadium due to Arteta's presence at the club. He added: "I said to my circle: 'If one day I'm going to leave City and I'm going to stay in the Premier League, it will be only one manager: Mikel Arteta.'"
Clearly a man of his word, Zinchenko joined Arsenal for £35million two and a half years after his new manager made the same jump. His impact on the side cannot be underestimated as he has truly made that left-back berth his own at the Emirates Stadium this season.
Upon joining, few could have predicted his new club to sit eight points clear of his former one at the top of the Premier League table with just 10 games to play. The Ukrainian defender had won four titles in five years at City before completing his move last summer, and now has the opportunity to extend his own personal run while simultaneously ending the Gunners' near-20-year wait for the ultimate domestic accolade.
Having struggled with injuries at the start of the campaign, Zinchenko is now in the midst of an excellent run of form. Operating in an inverted left-back role, he moves into midfield when the Gunners have possession to allow other teammates to press forward, proving to be a revelation in Arteta's newly-built system.
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