Former Ukraine coach Yozhef Sabo believes it is only a matter of time before new £24 million signing Illia Zabarnyi is leaving AFC Bournemouth for one of the Premier League’s ‘leading teams’, talking up a future switch to Manchester City in conversation with UA Tribuna.
Over the last 12 months, three highly-talented young players have swapped Ukrainian football for the bright lights of England.
Vitaliy Mykolenko left Dynamo Kiev for Everton. Chelsea then snapped Mykhaylo Mudryk from under Arsenal’s nose. And, in January, billionaire-backed Bournemouth splashed out £24 million on an outstanding young centre-half who, like Mykolenko, rose through the ranks at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex.
“I can only congratulate such a transfer,” says Sabo, who had two spells in charge of Ukraine in the 1990s.
“In the Premier League, the teams are strong. Zabarnyi is just right for English football, because it is a powerful championship. I can only hope he grows (in England).”
WILL BOURNEMOUTH’S ILLIA ZABARNYI END UP AT MANCHESTER CITY
Zabarnyi, who was heavily linked with Tottenham Hotspur back in 2022, idolises Virgil van Dijk. He certainly shares a few key similarities with the giant Dutchman. Zabarnyi is a fearsome aerial presence. And, at 6ft 2ins, he also possesses a technical ability that belies his towering frame.
It is that combination of power and finesse that has Sabo tipping a team coached by Pep Guardiola to take note of Zabarnyi somewhere down the line.
“So far, Manchester City have not signed him,” Sabo adds. “But, if he raises his level, then he will definitely be signed by the leading teams of the Premier League. But he must grow first.
“This transfer is a plus for everyone; for the player, the clubs and the national team.”
20-year-old Zabarnyi already has 24 caps for the Ukrainian national team. He was one of a handful of eye-catching January additions for a newly ambitious Bournemouth. Hamed Traore, Antoine Semenyo, Matias Vina and £20 million Dango Ouattara also arrived.
Pep Guardiola has already hinted at Bernardo Silva plan amid Man City uncertainty
Man City midfielder has been linked with a move from the Blues to Barcelona in recent transfer windows.
Man City duo Pep Guardiola and Bernardo Silva. (Image: 2022 James Gill – Danehouse)
Bernardo Silva remains under contract with Manchester City until 2025, but his future at the Etihad Stadium is uncertain. The Portuguese midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona in recent transfer windows, but the Blues have been reluctant to let him go.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the Catalan outfit made a late attempt to sign the 28-year-old in the January transfer window – with the report stating that City dismissed the approach. Xavi’s side have tried on several occasions to sign the midfielder, and it is claimed that their latest offer was a loan deal that contained an obligation to buy Bernardo in the summer.
It is no secret that Bernardo likes Barcelona, with Pep Guardiola previously admitting as much. Sport claim that the player is keen on a move to the Camp Nou, and given that the City boss has previously insisted he will not keep players who want to leave, it would not come as a major shock if the Portugal international was not wearing a blue shirt at the start of next season.
Bernardo has 30 appearances already this campaign, and is likely to make many more before the summer. The 28-year-old, who has played more than 280 games since joining City from Monaco in the summer of 2017, has won 11 trophies with the club. His trophy cabinet contains four Premier League winners medals.
Discussing the prospect of the player joining Barcelona after a friendly between the two sides last August, Guardiola said: “I’m no one to tell Barca to forget about [signing] Bernardo. We want him to stay with us, but I don’t want anyone who’s not happy.
“The first thing would be for the clubs to come to an agreement, but there has been no offer for him in these last two years.
“I don’t want him to go, he’s a superlative player and a great person… and there are only seven or eight days left [in the window] and we would have to turn to the transfer market. I want him to stay. That said, it is true Bernardo likes Barcelona a lot.”
Bernardo Silva of Manchester City. (Image: 2023 Matt McNulty – Manchester City)
With the Blues having left full-back Joao Cancelo join Bayern Munich on loan until the end of the season, Guardiola has already demonstrated that he is not afraid to make bold calls.
Speaking after Raheem Sterling left to join Chelsea last summer, the Spaniard said: “If you force one person to stay when he doesn’t want to stay how can you get the best from him? It’s impossible. I would love to stay all together but at the same time if a player wants to leave then we will find a solution.”
And when reflecting on City’s decision to sell Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Premier League rivals Arsenal, the Blues boss stated: “When you don’t want to stay and want to leave, you cannot stay.”
Clearly, then, Guardiola is not keen to work with players who do not want to be at the club. Despite his links with Barcelona, Bernardo’s performance levels have still been good this term. He has probably not been at his best, but that could be said about a few of City’s stars.
The Portuguese ace will continue to be linked with a transfer away from the Etihad, and it could potentially get to a point where City take the same approach that they did with Cancelo, Sterling, Jesus and Zinchenko. For now, though, he needs to deliver and help his current side enjoy a successful season.
Whether or not he makes the move to Barcelona remains to be seen, but Guardiola is unlikely to stand in his way if he has his heart set on the transfer.
Source: hitc.com; manchestereveningnews.co.uk
