Leicester City is known for being shrewd operators in the transfer market, taking risks where other clubs may not. This may mean recruiting from outside Europe’s top leagues to find better value or unearthing hidden gems. Using this approach has served LCFC well in the past; just look at what Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante have gone onto achieve. Sadly, the days of bargain buys are probably gone, and good value for Leicester City may still end up costing upwards of £20m.
Viktor Tsygankov or Tshyankov as he is known in Ukraine is a name that has repeatedly been linked with a move to the EPL, as well as being a staple of many Football Manager saves. Currently playing for Dynamo Kyiv, and aged just 23, he’s already racked up 187 appearances for his club, as well as 28 for his country.
With Leicester looking for a goalscoring winger, Tsygankov fits the signing profile as an exciting up and coming talent who will complement Harvey Barnes. Although best cutting in from the right, Tsygankov can also play on the left as well as up front. In fact his ability to play as a ‘winger’ on the left, could work a treat when partnered by an inverted full-back, allowing for much better link-up play and even more options for Brendan Rodgers.
Ready for a step up
What stands out in Tsygankov’s game is the output he has racked up across the last four seasons in the Ukrainian league. Over this time he’s scored 60 goals in 125 appearances, consistently getting around 0.5 per game. Even last season, Tsygankov scored 12 goals despite making just 15 starts. This is in addition to captaining the side despite his tender years, with Viktor a perfect example of actions speaking louder than words.
Outside the domestic league, Tsygankov has also impressed at times in both the UCL and UEL; as well as for Ukraine. In 2019/20, Tsygankov registered 5 goal involvements in just 6 UEL appearances, putting in an average performance of 7.42 as per Whoscored. In the latter arena, Viktor has proved decisive against the top sides, scoring a well-taken winner against Spain in the Nations League.
Player profile
Firstly, a disclaimer before we go into the player profile. The Ukrainian league is not heavily covered so there is limited data available (in terms of detailed metrics). Therefore, the only comprehensive information is from either international or continental competitions, which may not provide a full indication of his performances.
As some may already be aware, Tsygankov is a dynamic goalscoring inverted right-winger; something in short supply at the elite level. Similar to Domenico Berardi, Tsygankov prefers to cut inside on his stronger left-foot into the half-space before making a key-pass or shooting at goal.
Unlike some wingers, Tsygankov has not forged his reputation as a one-dimensional player, and possesses speed, technical ability and flair to bamboozle the opposition. Although he’s primarily left-footed, Tsygankov is extremely comfortable shooting with or moving onto his right, making him much harder to defend against. This is evident in the way he’s adept at beating an opposition full-back on the outside or finding space cutting inside, utilising excellent close control as well as bursts of acceleration. Even when it’s clear he wants to cut inside it’s hard for defenders to actually stop him.
Whilst he also creates goals, (he’s registered 21 assists for Dynamo), Tsygankov has a clear eye for goal and will take a shot on if the opportunity presents itself. The ridiculous 3.2 shots taken per game in last season’s UEL are testament to this. Clearly a trigger-happy RW could indicate Tsygankov is selfish, but Tsygankov is more than just a statpadder; he combined his 3.2 shots with 3.3 key passes in the same competition, underlining his creator credentials.
Possessing the intelligence and technical ability to pick out teammates as well as find the target makes him unpredictable when he receives the ball in the right half-space. In terms of goalscoring, he’s certainly capable of scoring world-class screamers from cutting inside, but he also is adept at making late runs into the area; utilising his ‘striker-like’ instincts to finish off team moves.
Tsygankov has racked up a substantial proportion of his 33 career assists from set-pieces, which utilises his ‘wand’ of a left boot. Leicester City regularly waste wide free-kicks and corners, so Tsygankov may help provide a much needed left-footed option on corners and free kicks. In fact, getting set-pieces regularly past the first man would be a welcome improvement, so James Maddison and Youri Tielemans should improve the standard in case Tsygankov arrives!
A word of caution for Leicester City
Such a purchase would certainly have a great chance of reward, but also carries some risk. Ultimately, all transfers have an element of risk; for every N’Golo Kante, you also have an Ahmed Musa, with all due respect. Tsygankov is a player who dazzles, yet is also prone to injuries; limiting him to just 20 appearances for Dynamo Kyiv last season.
Without a clear indication of concrete bids for the Ukrainian, it’s also difficult to guess his potential price, although Transfermarkt value him at £22.5m. With COVID affecting all clubs’ finances, it may be possible to strike a deal around £25m, especially after his indifferent Euros performance. This would be a sizeable fee, but Tsygankov clearly has a high ceiling and potentially a much higher resale value than an older option such as Berardi.
Whilst Tsygankov didn’t set the world alight at the Euros, it’s also worth recognising that he never got to play in his favoured right-wing position. This was due to the asymmetric system employed by Andriy Shevchenko, with Tsygankov playing as an orthodox left-winger. Furthermore, his involvement was limited to cameo appearances off the bench as a result of his recent injury.
Would such concerns be a dealbreaker to a potential move? Probably not. Even so, Viktor may take time to acclimatise his game as well as his body to the intensity of the EPL. If he were to join LCFC, it wouldn’t be wise to expect either immediate results or for him to play every game. Despite this, Tsygankov is a player worth getting excited about, whether Leicester City sign him or not.