OPINION
Left-back has been an ongoing source of trouble for West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini this season, with no firm candidate consolidating the position.
Arthur Masuaku has been the Chilean’s preferred choice this term, with Aaron Cresswell unable to break into the first team, but the Hammers can solve their woes with a January move for Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Manchester City man, on a reported £20,000-per-week at the Etihad Stadium [Source: Spotrac], has found himself on the outside looking in this campaign having filled in remarkably well at left back last season.
A move for the 21-year-old would be achievable, too. Sky Sports claimed that City had agreed to sell the Ukraine international to Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, meaning that the Hammers would surely be able to coerce Pep Guardiola into agreeing to let him go once again.
Zinchenko is not a first-team regular in Manchester, but there is no shame in that. The important thing for West Ham is that the youngster has shown himself to be a capable Premier League player when he has appeared in the top flight for the Citizens.
He is an extremely talented and versatile young footballer. He is nominally an attacking midfielder, but has shown that he is capable of operating at left back to a very high level.
That is where Pellegrini would use him too. Neither Masuaku nor Cresswell have done enough to position themselves as long term solutions at the London Stadium, but Zinchenko could certainly solidify himself in that spot.
At just 21 years of age the Ukrainian can lock down the left hand side of the defence for the next decade, making him a short and long term purchase for the club.
This is an issue that really needs solving, and West Ham can achieve that by bringing Zinchenko in this January, providing themselves with a capable starting left back for many years moving forward.
