Manchester City wanted to sell Zinchenko before Arsenal signed him - Guardiola

Oleksandr Zinchenko was going to be sold by Manchester City before he joined Arsenal, according to coach Pep Guardiola.

Zinchenko was informed that his playing time would be cut after a rough start to the 2019–20 season, according to Guardiola, who was speaking ahead of a top-of-the-table match with Arsenal. He revealed that the Ukrainian defender at the time chose to remain and fight for his position rather than accept an exit.

Guardiola said: “Everybody is in love [with him] at City. He was an important figure in our club. What I like most about Alex is in the first years, we maybe wanted to move him from here because we thought he wasn’t going to play much. He said, ‘No, I want to fight for my position!’ I said, ‘Alex, it’s difficult, I have many players in your position.’ He said, ‘No, I’m going to play here.’ He trained really well, never had a bad face, aspiring when he plays, always had good behaviour.

“Normally when you don’t play, you don’t say you’re going to play and say, ‘Ah I don’t want to do it’. He was completely the opposite, seeing him in the gym working extra-time.”