Everton should do whatever they can to secure Oleksandr Zinchenko signing
Everton should be pulling out all the stops to beat Arsenal to Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Athletic reported back in June that Everton were keen on the Ukrainian international, with Pep Guardiola being open to a sale.
However, Mikel Arteta looks to have got in first ahead of his former club, with Sky Sports reporting on Thursday afternoon (14 July) that Arsenal are set to make a formal bid to City.
Zinchenko has only been a rotation player under Guardiola, never making more than 20 league appearances in a season despite being a very talented player.
He managed 15 appearances last season, but City’s pursuit of Marc Cucurella has left the door open for Everton to secure his services.
Get in quick
Arsenal’s interest in Zinchenko complicates things for Everton, with The Gunners already buying Gabriel Jesus from the Cityzens.
However, it is not too late to get in their first and secure a deal, as Arsenal themselves know all too well this summer.
Everton are obviously in a very difficult financial situation, but Zinchenko offers them the perfect signing to cover multiple positions.
The 25-year-old is renowned for his versatility, being able to cover both central midfield and at left-back, where he played most of his football for City.
He would not come cheap, with the Daily Star reporting on Thursday 14 July that City wanted £35million for his services, but this is still significantly cheaper than a comparable player in both positions.
Compare the fee to Morgan Gibbs-White, with Everton seeing a £25million bid for the midfielder knocked back by Wolves according to Sky Sports, and the fee for Zinchenko looks like a bargain.
Not only would the fee for two players likely exceed City’s asking price for Zinchenko, but there would also be two sets of wages going out.
Even with the £35million price tag, Zinchenko would be the perfect signing for Everton this summer and they should do what they can to make it happen.