Arsenal are reportedly keen to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City this summer, and Paul Merson has just named the Ukrainian as the most underrated player in the Premier League.

Mail Plus revealed last month that Mikel Arteta is keen to sign the 25-year-old – not to fill in at left-back but to play as a midfielder, which is his natural position.

Zinchenko is a really talented player on the ball, but he has never quite been the first choice at Manchester City. However, he has impressed almost every time he has played, and Merson believes he deserves so much more credit for that than he gets.

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Paul Merson: Arsenal-linked Zinchenko is the most underrated player in the Premier League

Merson listed the five most underrated players in the Premier League last season in his column on Sportskeeda this week. Arsenal-linked Zinchenko secured his number one spot.

He wrote: “Oleksandr Zinchenko doesn’t play all the time for Manchester City, but he’s been a top player for Pep Guardiola and never looks out of place regardless of where he is deployed on the pitch. For Ukraine, he plays as a central midfielder and looks like a proper footballer who can make a difference at any point in the game.

“A lot of people don’t speak about this, but Zinchenko sort of changed the game for Manchester City after coming on against Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season.

“He had a hand in the first goal and got the crowd going with his work rate and determination, which is exactly what you want to see. Not just in that game, but he doesn’t let the fans or the manager down and is a brilliant player to have amongst the squad.

“I think a few top teams will look to buy him this summer because he isn’t a guaranteed starter for Manchester City. Zinchenko doesn’t get the credit he deserves and would be a proper addition to any team in world football, it’ll be interesting to see where he lands up.”

Should Arsenal sign the Ukrainian?

Arsenal are in the market looking for a new central midfielder. We also need a better decent option at left-back when Kieran Tierney is not fit – The Athletic recently claimed that Nuno Tavares could be loaned out next season.

Arteta could solve both needs by signing Zinchenko this summer.

The Ukrainian checks all the boxes – he’s still only 25, is versatile, knows the Premier League really well and has already worked with Arteta when the Spaniard was at Manchester City.

Signing someone like Zinchenko makes a lot of sense this summer, but whether Manchester City would be willing to sell both him and Gabriel Jesus to us is the big question.

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