Manchester City close to deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko replacement

Posted Wednesday, August 10, 2022 by Caughtoffside.com

Manchester City are often consistent in doing their business early on in the transfer window, as was the case with this summer’s major investments Kalvin Phillips and Erling Braut Haaland. Yet after the first weekend of the Premier League season, Pep Guardiola is still waiting on a replacement for the departed Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Ukrainian arrived as an attacking midfielder, but was deployed chiefly as a left-back by Guardiola. Following the pursuit of Marc Cucurella, which ended with the Catalan moving to Chelsea, Manchester City have focused their attention on another Catalan left-back.

Sergio Gomez also came through Barcelona’s La Masia academy, primarily as a winger, before moving to Borussia Dortmund. There he struggled to develop, spending a season on loan at Huesca too. However following a permanent move for a little over £2m to Anderlecht last summer, Gomez has been impressing many scouts with his attacking flare on the left flank.

Excl: Manchester City are closing on Sergio Gómez deal with Anderlecht. Fee will be in excess of €10m, final details being discussed and then it will be completed. 🚨🔵 #MCFC

Plan has always been to loan him to Girona… but been told City could now decide to keep Sergi. pic.twitter.com/qfyS1MCH50
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 9, 2022

Scoring 7 times and assisting 15 more last season, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that a deal between City and Anderlecht is close. The fee should set City back €10m (£8.46m) and they had originally intended on loaning him out to Girona, but given their struggles to bring in another left-sided defender, City may well decide to keep him.