‘It’s time’: Coach suggests wonderkid ‘deserves’ Tottenham move
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images Ilya Zabarnyi ‘deserves’ a move to a bigger league with Tottenham Hotspur big fans of the Dynamo Kiev wonderkid, Ukraine U19 coach Volodymyr Yezerskiy tells Football24. If Clement Lenglet is the very definition of a short-term solution – a quick fix if you like – then Zabarnyi is a target with the future in mind. Lenglet arrives on loan from Barcelona and will be expected to slot straight into Antonio Conte’s backline. Zabarnyi, however, is nearly a decade the Frenchman’s junior. He doesn’t even turn 20 until September. A lack of proven, top-level experience has not stopped Spurs from keeping a keen eye on Zabarnyi’s progress over in Ukraine, however (Alisdair Gold). And a tally of 22 caps for the national team paints the picture of a highly-promising, highly-mature defender who plays the game with an awareness and confidence far beyond his years. Zabarnyi passes the eye test too. His reading of the game is excellent, his timing too. And his natural two-footedness means he could play on either side of Eric Dier in Antonio Contre’s three-man backline. Tottenham are big fans of Ukraine’s Illya Zabarnyi Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images “I worked with him in the youth team for about three years. The prerequisites were already visible in 15 or 16,” Yezerskiy explains. “He was the main player in the youth team. Today, his level is a player of the national team and the main defender at Dynamo. It’s time for a new challenge. “He deserves to join a stronger league. There will be progress. It is important not to overwhelm the player.” Zabarnyi, if indeed he does become a Tottenham player this summer, will follow in the footsteps of another fresh-faced Ukrainian wonderkid. Dnipro’s Yehor Yarmolyuk is set to join Brentford, per Fabrizio Romano. “He can play in more than one position, has a good skill, works well with the ball at speed, is not afraid to play one-on-one, looks for the ball, and is physically ready,” adds Yezerskiy, detailing the extent of Yarmolyuk’s wide-ranging skillset. “Yarmolyuk is ready for adult football. It is great that the players are attracting interest.” Photo by Stanislav Vedmid/DeFodi Images via Getty Images In other news, 'It's not easy': Paolo di Canio warns £42m star about West Ham move
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