Arsenal’s quest to finish fourth may have ended in disappointment but the club still have a European campaign to prepare for. And Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will be keen to add more quality and depth to his squad to handle the rigours of European football as well as domestic football.
One position in particular the Spaniard is believed to be keen on strengthening is left-back. Kieran Tierney has been an integral part of Arteta’s plans since he arrived from Celtic in the summer of 2019, however, the Scotland star struggled with injury last season.
He only made 22 Premier League appearances in the previous campaign and Nuno Tavares often struggled defensively when he deputised for Tierney. As a result of which the Gunners have been linked with a plethora of left-backs, including Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has finally signed for the Gunners.
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The 25-year-old joined City in the summer of 2016 as an attacking midfielder but was converted into a left-back by Pep Guardiola. Zinchenko’s ability on the ball, coupled with his pace and dynamism helped the Ukrainian international not only adapt but thrive in his new position.
However, following the signing of Joao Cancelo in 2019 Zinchenko has had to become accustomed with a reduced role, making only 15 top flight appearances during City's title winning campaign. And with just two years left on his contract City could well be tempted to cash in this summer.
With that said, is there a place for Zinchenko in Arteta's starting XI? Here, we take a look at how Arsenal could line up next season with the former City left-back in the side:
GK: Aaron Ramsdale
RB: Takehiro Tomiyasu
CB: Ben White
CB: Gabriel
LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko
RCM: Thomas Partey
LCM: Granit Xhaka
RW: Bukayo Saka
CAM: Martin Odegaard
LW: Emile Smith Rowe
ST: Gabriel Martinelli
