Arsenal are working on the signing of Manchester City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, reports The Athletic’s David Ornstein. This comes after the Gunners signed Gabriel Jesus from the reigning Premier League champions earlier this summer.
Arsenal Focusing On Oleksandr Zinchenko Signing
Gunners’ Optimistic About Signing Versatile Zinchenko
The North London giants are currently in talks with Pep Guardiola’s side over a potential deal for Zinchenko. They believe that City are open to sanctioning the sale of the Ukrainian defender if their valuation is met, with the Citizens currently looking to sign Marc Cucurella from Brighton & Hove Albion to strengthen their left-back area.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a big fan of the 25-year-old having worked with him during his stint as the assistant manager at the Manchester club. The Spaniard is keen on reuniting with Zinchenko and believes he can be a valuable asset for his side next season.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal working on deal to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Man City. Clubs in talks, #MCFC open to sale if valuation met. #AFC would also need to agree personal terms. Versatile 25yo now priority for Arteta after missing Martinez @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/e3r0Xmyh67
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 14, 2022
Arsenal Eyeing Zinchenko as an Alternative to Lisandro Martinez
The Gunners were keen on signing Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez in the summer and had a bid rejected for him too. But they are set to miss out on his services with Manchester United now close to signing the Argentine centre-back.
Arteta had initially planned to use Martinez as a left-back if able to rope him in. With that now not possible anymore, he has turned his attention to another versatile player in the form of Zinchenko. The Ukrainian defender was usually used as a left-back by Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, but he’s often deployed in a midfield role for the Ukraine national team.
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The Arsenal boss would love having a hard-working player like the 25-year-old in his squad, knowing he can be used in a variety of roles and help him rotate his players better next season.
Zinchenko’s Career So Far
Ever since arriving from the Russian side FC Ufa in 2016, Zinchenko has had a lot of success with Manchester City. He’s won the Premier League title four times with the Manchester giants, as well as winning the Carabao Cup title as many times.
𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱-𝘂𝗽 🌎
🇺🇦 Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ukraine qualified for a World Cup play-off final after beating Scotland 3-1! 💙💪#ManCity pic.twitter.com/ZNy0NiAqq6
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 1, 2022
The 25-year-old has even won the FA Cup with the Citizens and played in the 2021 Champions League final for Guardiola’s side, in what was ultimately a losing effort.
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He’s made 127 appearances for the Manchester side, scoring 2 goals and providing 123 assists. But after failing to secure a regular spot under Pep, Zinchenko is open to the prospect of leaving City and joining Arsenal as he seeks more game-time at the top level.
