Agent reveals Man City beat Arsenal to summer signing

Matt Stead

Manchester City beat Arsenal to the signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer, according to the player’s agent.

City signed Zinchenko in a £1.7million deal from Russian side FC Ufa.

The winger was immediately loaned out to Dutch side PSV, where he has played six games in all competitions.

After impressing for Ukraine at Euro 2016, the 19-year-old earned his move to the Premier League, but agent Sandor Varga claims that one other English club sought his signature.

“Wenger called and said: ‘I have a need for that player. He’s going to play in the first team. I know he is only seventeen, but I’m going to write a letter to his family that I will take care of him when he is with us and he’ll play in the first team’,” Varga told Championat.

“Arsene had seen a youth game of Shakhtar and took 20 minutes to assess the potential of Oleksandr.

“Wenger asked me ten times about Zinchenko and I later informed him and felt even a bit sad because I couldn’t help him.”