It takes a lot to stand out as one of LaLiga‘s breakout stars in the same year that a certain Jude Bellingham arrives on Spanish shores, devouring everything in his path.
Ahead of the European Championship, though, that’s exactly what Girona’s Viktor Tsygankov has done.
Tsygankov emerged as an 18-year-old at Dynamo Kyiv when he broke into the first-team and made his Champions League bow, and for many in Ukraine he has long been a figure of great excitement.
‘Tsygankov was ready for the first team last year. He’s cut from the same cloth as Andriy Shevchenko,’ said Ihor Surkis, president of Dynamo Kyiv, as featured on a UEFA Weekly Wonderkids entry back in 2016.
‘It’s so rare to see such maturity in a player his age. Players like him love football more than anything – and that shows on the pitch.’
Viktor Tsygankov enjoyed a breakout season with eight goals and seven assists this season
The Ukrainian star has been linked with a move to Arsenal, AC Milan and Tottenham of late
As a teenager he was compared to Ukrainian national icon Andriy Shevchenko by Dynamo Kyiv’s president
To contextualise just how high that praise is, Shevchenko is the greatest sporting national hero that Ukraine has, winning it all with AC Milan – including the Ballon d’Or – and is his country’s record appearance-maker, leading goal scorer and former manager. It’s like when we all said Kylian Mbappe was the next Thierry Henry.
Now, eight years on, he is starting to show just what a frightening prospect he can still become, which is why clubs like Arsenal are being linked with his services.
Teaming up with national team-mate Artem Dovbyk, the pair fired Michel’s upstarts into the top four and a first ever Champions League finish, and Europe’s elite are clearly taking note.
That Arsenal are being connected with a move to Tsygankov is actually no real surprise, even though his isn’t a name that many are overly familiar with.
The left-footed winger can play off both the left and right – and we all know how important fluidity is to Mikel Arteta’s set up – and favours his weapon of a left foot, cutting in and dropping the shoulder to ruthless impact.
In that sense, he resembles Bukayo Saka in his play style; a willingness and confidence to dazzle defenders with his footwork, and a preference to cut in off the right flank and cut the ball back for a cute finish inside the box.
Just think about it – how many times have we seen the…