Manchester City could soon have another Oleksandr Zinchenko at the Etihad Stadium as Pep Guardiola closes in on Valentin Barco.
There have been plenty of rumours circulating about the Boca Juniors No.19 and Manchester City.
A story from Football Transfers claims that Barco has now agreed to join the treble winners after his representatives checked out the Etihad Campus.
It came after RN claimed that Manchester City are the main candidate to sign the 19-year-old.
So, why might Valentin Barco be the new Oleksandr Zinchenko? Let’s take a look…
Guardiola could have Zinchenko 2.0 on his hands in Barco
Well – from a stylistic point of view – the pair are very similar footballers.
Let’s start with their versatility.
Zinchenko made a name for himself at Manchester City by delivering quality performances on the left of defence and also in a central role.
Pep Guardiola has even used the Ukraine international as an attacking midfielder before, while he has performed on the left of attack as well.
Interestingly, Barco can do exactly that – he was even trusted to play almost as a striker in the Copa Libertadores final, close to Edinson Cavani.
The teenager is commonly known as a left-back, like Zinchenko, but is talented enough to operate centrally as an inverted option in midfield.
A quick look at the respective Transfermarkt pages of Barco and the Arsenal No.35 shows the similarities between their positioning over the years – it should also be noted that they are both diminutive players who favour their left foot.
Valentin Barco solves many problems for Manchester City
It would be unwise to pile too much pressure on Barco straight away.
However, if the Argentina Under-20 international proves he has the mental strength to compete at Manchester City straight away, many problems will be solved for Guardiola.
The Spaniard seems to be unhappy with his left-back department based on recent rumours, while he may also lose a midfielder with Kalvin Phillips likely to depart in January.
Therefore, Barco – who can play in both of these positions – would be a very welcome presence at the Etihad Stadium this winter.
