Man City must make difficult Oleksandr Zinchenko transfer decision to avoid Chelsea reputation

Anyone who watched Ukraine's recent matches against Scotland and Wales will have taken note of the brilliant performances of a certain midfielder.

In the end Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko could not guide his nation — devastated by the horrors of war — to the World Cup finals, a play-off final defeat to Wales ending the dream. But it wasn't for the want of trying; Ukraine performed well in both games, especially Zinchenko.

The 25-year-old was superb in Ukraine's midfield, the level of his passing, movement and execution a mark above that of anyone in the blue of Scotland or the red of Wales. He orchestrated Ukraine's attacks from a left-sided attacking midfield role, breaking the lines with incisive passes and dropping deep to win the ball and build attacks.

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Simply put, Zinchenko put in the kind of performances in the number eight position that you would expect to see from the likes of Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne. That is exactly why he should leave City this summer, and why the club should not stand in his way.

Of course, City shouldn't actively look to sell Zinchenko; he is one of City's most technically gifted players, is positionally flexible and possesses an exemplary attitude. There are few players in world football who would fight as hard to make a transfer to City work as he has.

Bought for just £1.7m in 2016 and immediately loaned out, City tried to offload Zinchenko in 2018. He refused, determined to show he belonged at the top level. Even when it became clear that he would rarely play in his preferred midfield role — either centrally or on the wing — he filled in at