Sergio Gomez can be Man City's perfect Zinchenko replacement and shows transfer strength

The performances of Oleksandr Zinchenko since joining Arsenal have made the Ukraine captain an instant fan favourite at the Emirates and could have left Manchester City fans wondering why they sold the left-back.

The 25-year-old was signed as a raw attacking midfielder at the dawn of the Pep Guardiola era in 2016 for a fee of £3.6 million from Russian club Ufa. His first season was spent on loan at PSV in the Netherlands before he returned to the club for the 2017/18 season.

It was during this season that he emerged as a consistent performer in the left-back position. His left-footedness was the key factor in bringing Zinchenko through as a left-sided defender to provide natural width.

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More importantly, it was Zinchenko's dependability and strong technical ability which allowed him to thrive as a cog in Pep Guardiola's City machine. He was a key component in City's recovery from 2-0 down to win the title against Aston Villa in May, coming on as a half-time substitute to provide the width that Joao Cancelo was struggling to provide.

It was a performance which left City writer Simon Bajowski describing Zinchenko as having left a 'unique legacy' at the club. This, combined with his role in four Premier League triumphs will have been the main motivating factor in Arsenal spending £22.5 million on the player with fans left wondering who would fill the void.

Marc Cucurella was an option, but with Chelsea having spent £62 million on the Spaniard Pep Guardiola admitted that the fee was too high. Instead, City opted for the signing of Sergio Gomez from Anderlecht, with the former attacking midfield talent having been converted into a full-back under the