Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko was widely tipped to leave the club with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich said to be interested in him. But the interest has turned out to be nothing serious.
Zinchenko Not a Target for Bayern
A Mixed Season for the Defender
The Gunners’ title charge was aided by excellent performances from various areas of the pitch. But the left-back position was constantly an issue for the club. Zinchenko was believed to be the right fit for the role but his defensive awareness wasn’t on the same level as his passing. Consequently, he often put his team in a spot of bother.
One of his worst defensive performances came in the 2-0 loss against Aston Villa at the Emirates. He couldn’t have picked a worse occasion as the loss held back Arsenal in the title race. This led to calls from the fans for the Ukrainian to be sold.
Why Was Zinchenko Linked With Bayern Munich?
Newly appointed manager Vincent Kompany wants to deploy a playing style similar to that of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta at the Allianz Arena. Zinchenko has mastered the inverted full-back role crucial to Arteta’s possession-based football, thus causing speculation that Die Roten might raid North London for him. Alphonso Davies being linked with a move to Real Madrid was another reason for the rumours.
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Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has now denied those rumours . Writing on the social media platform X, he said: “Currently, the 27 y/o left-back from FC Arsenal is not a hot topic of interest at Bayern. And close sources around the player confirm that a move to Bayern is very unlikely.” The German club are instead said to be undertaking measures to extend Davies’ contract. Failure to do so will lead them to AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez, not Zinchenko, according to the journalist.
Will Zinchenko Remain With the Gunners?
According to The Athletic, Arsenal haven’t shown any urgency to renew the defender’s contract. Hence he might be sold if a decent offer arrives and a better replacement is found. Arteta’s team have been linked with Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato who can also feature at left-back. Moreover, Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu can play across the backline and are also better defenders. Thus, a move away from North London might happen for Zinchenko, just not to Bayern Munich.
