OPINION
West Ham must play a blinder by using Manuel Pellegrini’s presence at the club to sign Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko in this window.
The former Man City boss no doubt has connections that he can utilise in order to bring such a dazzling talent to the London Stadium as Zinchenko would be a breath of fresh air at the club.
The 21-year-old managed to make eight appearances for the Premier League champions in their recent title-winning season but will be eager to kick a ball on a more regular basis in the upcoming campaign.
While in the ideal world he would get that opportunity at the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola’s side overflowing with world-class talent, a temporary exit on loan would suit him and his club.
This is where the Hammers should come in and offer him a place to go to in order to continue his promising development.
Zinchenko would be a pacey outlet for Pellegrini’s attacking style of football, that is hopefully set to be seen at his latest club, and could be utilised as a left-winger or left-back if needed.
The 21-year-old can even feature as a centre-midfielder and be the energetic pair of legs that the Hammers desperately lacked in their latest campaign.
While he would have Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku to compete with for a role on the left-side of the field, Zinchenko could either bump them out of the team or effectively become the engine in the heart of Pellegrini’s new look side instead.
Guardiola may not have openly listed the Ukrainian international as being available but it’s easy to imagine that a loan deal is on the cards.
Therefore the Hammers should play a blinder and use Pellegrini’s contacts to lure Zinchenko from his top-six Premier League side even if it’s just for a season as he would have a positive impact on the current playing squad.
