Максим Салівон
Catalan side Girona do not intend to say goodbye to Ukrainian Viktor Tsygankov for less than 50 million euros. The nominal transfer value of the former Dynamo Kyiv player has also increased. According to the latest data from the authoritative valuation portal Transfermarkt, Viktor is currently worth 25 million.
Tsygankov is not having as good a season as Dovbyk. But he has no less significant impact on Girona’s game, and in addition, he is a performer who has a different purpose on the field. Therefore, three goals along with three assists as indicators of Viktor’s success off the field do not fully reflect his merits since the beginning of the season.
Indirectly, the high level of Tsygankov in the Spanish top flight is evidenced by the interest of several leading Western European clubs in Viktor. All of them have much greater capabilities than Girona, and it’s not just about playing potential, but also about financial resources.
Victor moved to Catalonia for a ridiculous amount of money – 5 million euros. Such a low figure for his transfer was due to the upcoming expiration of his contract with Dynamo – the agreement was due to expire in six months. Ihor Surkis, as an experienced businessman, took out a hedge. The most titled Ukrainian club will receive 50% of the amount of Tsygankov’s transfer from Girona to another team. And this cannot but create unnecessary and sometimes artificial obstacles in negotiations with Tsygankov’s potential employers.
Girona takes into account the need to share a tidbit, and may not offer a compensation amount that is quite adequate to the situation for their most intelligent winger.
I have already analyzed the transfer options for Artem Dovbyk. Now it’s the turn of another successful Ukrainian in Spain. Here are the top five most likely clubs where Yarmolenko’s successor may soon find himself.
He won’t have to go far: the task is not to repeat Chygrynsky’s path
For almost a year in Spain, Tsygankov proved that the local La Liga was definitely a good choice for him. Viktor subtly feels the shortcomings of local defenders, uses their focus on helping his team’s attack, and sees when to tap into the emotions of these often southern guys.
The Primera Division has the smallest percentage of legionnaires among the top 5 championships of the Old World, and not a small number of them are Portuguese or representatives of Latin American countries.
Therefore, when a real opportunity arises to get a career advancement in an environment that has already become familiar, it is worth grabbing this opportunity. It seems that fate may give Tsygankov such a chance.
Victor is in the sphere of interest of Barcelona, another Catalan club. Several stars have to align to make such a transfer happen, but with each confident performance of Girona, which leaves the Blaugranas in the table below, and Tsygankov himself, the likelihood of a deal between the neighboring clubs increases. And even more so. If the dynamics of the teams’ positioning in the La Liga table are maintained, the Ukrainian’s move to the Camp Nou has every chance of becoming political. Joan Laporta will have to save his face from a nosebleed. And other parts of the body.
Despite the triumph in the previous round of the Primera Division, this Barcelona team is still in its infancy. And, despite all the problems and difficulties of the “giants”, our Viktor is quite capable of becoming a part of it.
Ukrainian quality in a German machine
At first glance, the information about Tsygankov’s possible transfer to Bayern Munich is as nonsense as the transfer to Barcelona. However, we should not forget that after choosing in favor of the extremely modest Spanish club, there were many pessimists about Viktor’s prospects. And Tsygankov has already shut them all up with his performance and results on the field.
In fact, today’s Bayern is not about powerful irrepressibility multiplied by endless discipline. And the players of the Reds’ coach Thomas Tuchel are not some unattainable celestials in terms of their skill level. With the exception of Harry Kane, whose performance is truly outstanding, it would be hard to call any of the Munich players a first-rate star. This includes the wingers.
As in the case of Barcelona, this project is only in the development stage. This is evidenced by Bayern’s results in the German championship, where the usually steady dominant team from Munich has not been able to win back first place from Leverkusen this season and has already lost a lot of points.
Among the four players, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane, and Jamal Musiala, only the latter retains a great potential. The other three remain strong players, but under Tuchel’s leadership they are not progressing, and demonstrate their best qualities only once in a while.
If the rumors of Sane’s return to England become a reality, Tuchel will need a player who can match his vision of a modern, effective winger.
Helping the Australian Angel in London
Tottenham has been one of the most attractive teams in the Premier League since the beginning of the season. For a long time, the Spurs held the lead, but later on, the results of Angelos Postecoglou’s team deteriorated somewhat. Not least of the reasons was the incompatibility of ambitions with the team’s personnel potential.
Postecoglou needs a deeper bench. In particular, on the wings of the attack. Currently, the London coach operates with five wingers.
There is no way to consider Manor Solomon, a former Shakhtar Donetsk player, a full-fledged player. The Israeli does not leave the infirmary. Korean Heung-min Son often acts on the edge. That leaves the unstable Brennan Johnson, the not always effective Dejan Kulusevski and the frankly superfluous Brian Hill.
We shouldn’t forget about Ivan Perisic, but the Croatian seems to have overestimated his capabilities. At the age of 34, he is simply not up to the level of a European Cup contender in the Premier League. It should not be forgotten that Victor can be useful in the center, and here the hopes of the fans and the confidence of the coach are not justified by the summer rookie James Maddison.
The Australian currently has no player of Tsygankov’s style. Victor is able to read the game, think through actions several moves ahead. That is why he should be called a “chess player in football”. Postecoglou does not have such a player at his disposal. All of Viktor’s hypothetical competitors listed above so far are about power, strength, dynamics, speed, or impudence. Tsygankov, on the other hand, is a smart guy on the field. Such players are expensive and always top the ratings of high demand.
Like Shevchenko, only in the opposite direction
The option with Inter Milan seems to be the least likely at the moment. Given at least the fact that the news about the Italian club dates back to October, and even in a situation where another employer was indicated in the German media as the driver of such interest, and the Nerazzurri were only included in the list “for the company.”
However, it should not be forgotten that Milan had already aimed to acquire Viktor, according to Igor Tsyganik. Today, after Tsygankov’s high-quality performance in the leading European championship, Inter can no longer have any doubts that the Ukrainian is capable of performing at a high level under conditions of much stronger pressure than in Ukraine.
However, there is at least one “but”. Given Inzaghi Jr.’s current tactical approach, it will not be easy to find a place for Tsygankov on the field. The Snakes’ coach Simone Inzaghi prefers a 3-5-2 formation. Inter has followed this formation in all matches since the beginning of this season. With this formation, either defenders or midfielders who are inclined to play defense, have “two hearts” and can hold the entire flank play on the flanks of the Milanese midfield. None of these qualities is Tsygankov’s virtue.
In the center, Inzaghi uses players who are more mobile than Viktor – those who are able to take on the functions of the “eight”. However, there is a good and relatively recent example. Shakhtar’s former player Henrikh Mkhitaryan, despite his penchant for attacking, managed to get used to the coach’s requirements.
At the same time, a possible move to Inter has many positive aspects. Firstly, in the current realities of Italian football, Milan are almost the main contender for domestic titles, and it’s not just about the prospects of this season. Secondly, Inzaghi has already proven that he is capable of reaching the highest heights in the Champions League with this team. Losing in the final to a monster like Manchester City by one goal, and then claiming success in the match for a long time, is a strong and truly significant achievement.
Under favorable circumstances, in such an environment, Viktor will progress and will certainly benefit the main team of Ukraine.
Where do you think Viktor Tsygankov should move to?
Photos: shutterstock.com, twitter.com/GironaFC_Engl
