Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres has reportedly recommended that the Catalan giants look to raid his former club, Manchester City, for a second time in as many transfer windows.
That’s according to a recent report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, who claims Torres has suggested Xavi’s side considering signing left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Torres, 22, spent two years playing alongside Zinchenko, 25, at the Etihad Stadium and with his old teammate’s deal set to expire in 2024, the Barcelona attacker reckons the Ukraine international could prove to be a decent defensive option.
Barcelona is rumoured to be on the lookout for a new left-sided full-back to provide Jordi Alba with some much-needed competition and although the likes of Alex Grimaldo and Alex Moreno have previously been linked, it is 25-year-old Zinchenko that is the latest name to see his future speculated.
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Currently forced to play second fiddle to stand out performer Joao Cancelo, manager Pep Guardiola rarely favours Zinchenko and that is echoed in the Ukrainian’s numbers this season, which includes just five Premier League starts.
Although, given his manager’s recent comments, that could be set to change for the remainder of the season.
Speaking to ITV, as quoted by Sky Sports, earlier this month about how the European conflict between Russia and Ukraine could impact Zinchenko, Guardiola said: “Yes of course it is not an easy period for Alex.
“He got not just [support from our fans], but all around the world, the UK, about this insane situation we are living in right now.
“Playing football is the best way for him. We are through to the next round and it was a good night knowing the difficulty of the FA Cup away.
“They started much better than us in the second half but the rest, we controlled difficult conditions on the pitch, we adapted well and at the end the quality of the players made the difference.”
Zinchenko joined the Citizens back in 2016 following a modest £1.6m move from Russian side FK Ufa.
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