Arsenal have confirmed the arrival of Ukraine international Oleksandr Zinchenko on a four-year deal thought to be worth £30 million plus add-ons.
The 25-year-old moves to Emirates Stadium after six years on the books at the Etihad. Recruited from Russian side Ufa in 2016, he was initially sent out on loan to PSV Eindhoven before being integrated into City’s first team.
In total, he made 127 appearances for the Blues, scoring twice and making 12 assists. He has played most of his football under Pep Guardiola as a left-back but can also operate on the left and in the centre of midfield.
💛🖤 Welcome, Alex 🖤💛
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 22, 2022
Zinchenko’s versatility has been cited as a key reason for Mikel Arteta’s interest after a move for Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez failed to materialise. The Argentine, who was also tipped to challenge Kieran Tierney, has joined Manchester United.
Zinchenko was spotted in the stands at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando on Wednesday evening and could be part of the squad to face Chelsea at the weekend.
He’s the fifth addition to the first team squad this summer and the second in quick succession from City after Gabriel Jesus.
Looooking gooooooood!!!
Specificity…. technical ability…..grit…. winning mentality….COYG!
Not as high-profile as I was hoping for, but this seems a really solid, useful signing with potential to surprise people in the vaunted left 8 role or provide cover for Tierneys inevitable injury. Quality business.
Genuinely curious now, who were you hoping for? I think this is a cracking signing
I heard a rumour of Sabitza from Bayern (who I love on Fifa but honestly know nothing about IRL but I felt could’ve been an exciting fit)
Sabitza doesn’t play left-back.
Y’all talking about Sabitzer?
He’s an attacking midfielder I believe…how many of those do we need?
Already have Ødegaard, Vieira and ESR battling for that position.
So you wanted a player you know nothing about? lol
Sabitza, who you know nothing about and is coming from the Bundesliga would have been a high-profile signing for you instead of the English league-established Zinchenko from Man City? Strange doesn’t describe it.
Oh “football” fans
You mean FIFA 22 Experts.
🙄
Lol u trolling?
Yeah, not high profile. He’s only won the Premier League four times. Pffff
Erm…Mbakpe and Haaland are kind of tied up at the moment. Maybe in January?
😂
Excellent signing. A progressive-passing force in midfield and solid, experienced backup for Kieran Tierney.
Just a great all-round fit for this team!
Don’t think he is here to be a back-up.
Really happy with this signing think he’s going to be huge for us 😊
Superb.
Great player. And great price.
And he doesn’t need to make any extra cash, ok?
Never saw it coming😎
What a signing!! Premier league proven for £30 million.
Say what you like about Arteta but he must have been very well liked and respected at city.
Great times ahead 👌
Zinsational signing.
I fully expect he will start the season as our new first choice left-back.
Palace in two weeks, absolutely cannot wait to get going.
Get in!
Finally..🎊!! Welcome lad. Here’s wishing you trophy laden seasons ahead with The Arsenal!
Whenever I have seen him in action recently for MC my underlying feeling was “too good to be a backup”.
Let’s hope he blossoms into a genuine star for us!
City don’t buy back ups, they buy competition.
Exactly
Great signing. Means that Tavares will definitely go out of loan which will hopefully polish off some of the rough edges. One more holding midfielder would be brilliant. Personally I’d keep Xhaka – we need the depth and Partey isn’t always fit.
Time for AMN, Leno, Pepe, Torreria and probs Bellerin to be moved on.
Superb stuff.
Now get this Tielemans deal over the line.
With this guy coming in, are we likely to see any midfield reinforcements without anyone (Xhaka?) leaving?
If there is another signing this summer I’d expect it to be a winger, but probably also depends on a Pepe departure.
Really happy with Zinchenko though!
I’d wager this guy will be used primarily as a left back and then an attacking midfield option.
Tielemens, however, is a defensive midfielder with an eye for a pass. A different player altogether.
And there’s no need to get rid of Xhaka either. Like Pepe, you make him part of a strong bench.
It’s all about having a big squad now. 😉
really feel that if Tavares leaves – that opens the door for Tielemans, rather than Xhaka leaving. Versatility in depth creates variety in combinations also and I think Tielemans is more useful with Xhaka than Tavares is with Zinchenko
Pretty sure we need Torreira and AMN to leave before Xhaka
doubt that position is as much a priority now as a wide attacking player for the right side is, because zinchenko will allow us to play someone higher up the pitch like ESR or sambi (or attackers even like saka or vieira) as zinchenko will be able to cover the LB/defensive halfspace in the 2-3-5 while in possession.
No. Lack of cover for Partey and Xhaka cost us big time during the run in. Sambi is far too raw – we desperately need reinforcements in that area of the middle and Tielemans fits the bill. More fool Arteta if he doesn’t get that done, because the guy is pleading to anyone who’ll listen to him for Arsenal to come and get him. Saka and Pepe have got the right wing covered for now and I wouldn’t part with Pepe until a replacement for him has been found; Nelson isn’t good enough. But the Tielemans deal needs to happen… Read more »
His interview was excellent. If that was like a job interview, I’d be signing him up. I liked that he called Arteta “Mister”, and how confident he was and also the way he danced around the question of his position.
Have to agree, that’s one of the best new signing interviews I’ve seen. Love his attitude and personality. He’s going to be a great addition to our squad.
Ok, that shirt is absolutely epic!!
Also, welcome Alex!! 🤍♥️ Im trying to keep as realistic as possible about this season, but its getting harder and harder 😖🤯 in a good way ofcourse…
Ya, about to go grab that shirt after work – 1st one I’m buying in a looooong time!
There must be some umbilical cord connection between Arsenal and the Alexes in Football. From Song, Hleb, Sanchez, Chamberlain, …..Zinchenko.
Great signing. For me this potentially resolves the midfield and the left back positions considering both Tierney and Partey do not get injured at the same time. Better than whoever that bloke Utd are trying to sign. Up the arse.
That ring though.
I don’t know much/anything about Zinchenko, is there a reason Man City don’t want him?
My hope is he’s just part of the fire sale to balance the Haaland purchase
I don’t think he’s leaving because City don’t want him. Pep registered his sadness in seeing him go in his farewell speech – and I think he was sincere. Zin is at a point he wants to play week-in, week-out. It is his decision and Pep has just chosen to honour it with minimum fuss… same way with Jesus and Sterling.
It’s been so long in coming I have forgotten what I wanted to say.
Can you expand on that?
“Expand”
Like Lukaku on a year long holiday in the PL or…?
Midfielder like passing and technical skill at full-back position is going to blow teams away. We can commit more players forward when we have such solid distributors like Zinchenko building-up play.
Zin on the left feeding martinelli in front of him 😊
Trying to mimic what we do on the right.
Arsenal just became less predictable in attack.
Great siging, and my personal preference over an EPL untested, overpriced (in my opinion) Martinez.
Absolute top top signing!
I Still tried acting suprised after the announcement despite reading all available news about the signing from all available sites for the past few days just to get my heart pumping. Love this team. COYG.
MASSIVE
Thrilled. Welcome, Alex!
Also props to the ownership for investing in the project, when many of us thought it would be otherwise.
Up!
Welcome on board the Arsenal, Zinchenko. May your stay be worthwhile.👊🏾💪🏾💪🏾
Great quote that I think sums up everyone’s hope and enthusiasm:
“Even from the last season, I was watching Arsenal’s games and I could smell it’s coming…”
Welcome Alex!
Slava Ukraini!
Welcome to the Arsenal Zinchenko. The best in your career is yet to come
Great business…. But I am really concerned that city will put in a crazy bid for saka. They have let Sterling go and our new number 9.
My thoughts too… But hey, it isn’t happening anyways.
And they’ve also signed that Haarland bloke?
Saka is going nowhere.
*Haaland.