"He told me..." Zinchenko laid bare private phone call with Arteta

Oleksandr Zinchenko opened up about the phone call with Mikel Arteta that convinced him to join Arsenal.

The Ukraine international has been central to Arteta’s side this term, having started 21 of the 22 Premier League matches he has been available for.

Since moving to Arsenal from Manchester City in the summer, the 26-year-old has displaced first choice left-back Kieran Tierney and starred as the Gunners close in on their first title in 19 years.

Arsenal are at the Premier League summit, some eight points clear of their nearest challenger City. Should they claim their first win at Anfield in 11 years on Sunday, Arteta’s men would be just eight games from an unlikely title.

Zinchenko on Arteta phone call

Zinchenko reunited with Arteta at Arsenal last summer after completing a £32million move from City. The Ukrainian had worked under Arteta at City, where the Arsenal manager had spent three years operating as Pep Guardiola’s assistant.

The relationship struck up between the pair in Manchester contributed to Arteta bringing Zinchenko to the Emirates Stadium.

Zinchenko told Sky Sports that Arteta was the only manager he would have left City for in the Premier League, and explained what the Spaniard said in a phone call to convince him to make the switch.

The left-back said: “The impact he had and has right now for me is a lot.

“I said many times one day if I am going to leave City and stay in the Premier League it will be [for] only one manager, which is him.

“The way he sees football, his vision, his character, he is a winner. That is what I like the most from people.

“Obviously, he knew me as a player and a person when he called me, I had a couple of conversations before I joined Arsenal.

“He told me what he wants to see from me, the club's vision, the club's plan and strategy. I liked everything of that and that is why I came.”