Arsenal are in talks to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, according to David Ornstein.
There was much speculation at the tail-end of May that we held the Ukraine international’s versatility in high regard, however, the rumours died down when we turned our attention to Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez.
Now that the Argentine is on the verge of a move to Manchester United, we appear to be revisiting the Zinchenko opportunity. As someone who can play in midfield but has considerable experience playing as a left-back, you can see why we’re attracted to Zinchenko.
🚨 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
Writing for The Athletic, Ornstein claims City won’t stand in the player’s way if a suitable bid is forthcoming. The asking price is thought to be in the region of £25 million, half of what United are set to pay for Martinez.
Mikel Arteta is very familiar with Zinchenko having worked with the player during his tenure as Pep Guardiola’s assistant. As was the case with Gabriel Jesus, that should stand us in good stead.
Other clubs, including West Ham and Everton, have also shown interest in the 25-year-old this summer.
Gotta say I like the sound of this
Couldn’t agree more. Let’s let United pay silly money for a non proven premier league footballer.
If this deal is around £25m or lower, then I’m quietly happy we didn’t go all out for Martinez.
And if we also sign Tielemans and Paqueta as a result of the saving made, well I’m in fucking dream land brothers and sisters.
Well said mate!
Couldn’t have done it without you Harding old boy.
On a side note, we are also being linked with a move for Villa teen Carney Chukwuemeka ( yes I had to copy paste that). Would be hilarious if we were to sign him after they thought they could sign ESR from us last summer.
Yes, yes it would. Especially given a good buddy of mine (Villa fan) bet me £100 that Villa would finish higher than Arsenal last season. He was very vocal for the first three games but then strangely slipped right out my DM’s as the season proceeded. When I attempted to retrieve my money he tried to wriggle out of it. So I had to refer him to the relevant WhatsApp message thread. He’s a twat. I love him. But he’s a twat. We’ve all got one of those. And if you don’t know who it is in your friendship group…… Read more »
Big dick energy 😂😂
Que esta adentro la Paqueta?
Don’t want to pee in anybodys pool but how do we know that Paqueta isn’t this summers Auoar? I mean I hope for the best but would say Tieleman is a much more sure thing. Anybody with knowledge please feel free to enlighten me 🙏
Always had the feeling we wanted him all the time and just made sure United pay a lot to Ajax for Martinez. Would love it, if that was the intention
This is next level stuff if Edu and team is able to make United overpay. And I’m pretty sure he sleep-giggling almost every other day.
Super glad that we gotten Zinchenko at £30M instead of Lisandro Martinez at £55M+
It couldn’t made more sense to overpaid for a unproven player at PL level
Seen him Play for Ukraine as the No 10 in a friendly against Nigeria and was the best player on the pitch a few years back…could play 6,8,10 !! Would be a real coup…a back up in 4positions and potential starter in 2 or 3…plus the winning attitude exported from Pep.
Let’s get it done
Great news. Let’s get him in!
How long before we discover we are in a bidding war with Chelsea / Sp*rs / United though….?
About 0.00075 of a second.
One of my daughters has an interview next week to hopefully work as a club steward.
I told her to expect Spurs on the phone trying to get her to work at the toilet bowl instead….
Good luck to her , hope she gets it.
Thanks mate. 😊👍🍺
Gunnerlocutor is a great handle…
I think he’d be a solid signing. Provides a cover/rotation option for Tierney and adds some quality to the middle of the park. Only question is would we still need someone a bit more physical and defensive in the midfield as well or is Sambi enough?
no disrespect to Tierney, but given his injury record we may just see zinchenko usurp his starting spot rather than just be a cover. Maybe not initially, but zinchenko has bounds of talent and is more versatile than KT. one KT injury (almost inevitable at this point) and zinchenko gets an extended run in the team, if he performs well it may just be KT who finds himself as cover. bit brutal, but if a signing replaces your current first choice then it’s probably a very good signing. Think this is super smart business from arsenal, glad we are signing… Read more »
Think youre overrating him a bit. Hes decent. But definitely not on Tierneys level.
To be fair, I think his point was more about reliability than quality
Think you’re wrong there, love KT but this guy would be direct competition for the starting spot.
I don’t think it has much to do with overrating him. As much as I like Tierney, is injury record is not good (even before he came to Arsenal). He just hasn’t shown you can count on him for big chunks of the season.
100% KT’s the man.
Definitely. That is, until he’s the man-down.
I like to remember Nacho Montreal here and there, because it was how reliable he was that made us appreciate him. Reliability.
I’m an Arsenal fan first but I’m also a Celtic and Scotland fan. I’ve been watching Tierney since he was 17 I’m a little ashamed to admit that Zinchencko is better footballer than Tierney. He has far better techincal ability and can play CM to a very high standard. KT is a legend but imo his style isn’t as suited to Arteta as Zinchencko. But, having them both would mean we have two brilliant players at LB
Great reader of the game and speedy, should be on the teamsheet before Xhaka, surely he’d be better in midfield, good stand in for full back … I think he said in May he’d prefer midfield
Spot on.
We all love KT, but the fact remains that injuries don’t love him.
Let’s hope this deal gets done – and KT stays fit. 💪🏻🙏🏻
This season is crunch time for Lokonga. Sink or swim. That simple.
I don’t know Martinez but I’m much more excited by the prospect of this. I can’t believe he’s not Brazilian
I can’t believe his first name isn’t Gabriel.
But agreed. More excited by this.
No kidding about the first name right?
On a bit of a tangent, I read the other day that one of Arteta’s kids is called Gabriel. I wonder if he ever gets mixed up and yells at Gabi Martinelli to clean his room or yells at his son Gabriel to track back…
The thing with Martinez is that he might be knocking on world class and can cover three positions we need covers in. At LCB, LB and CDM. Zinchenko on the other hand is a reliable playmaker who can cover at LB and virtually anywhere in the midfield. So a left footed and arguably better though most likely slower Maitland Niles… or a more versatile, left footed and most likely better but premier league unproven Torierra.
Espnfc. Perhaps someone can help me understand why the hate for Arsenal. Each transfer they rate a transaction. They have rated Arsenal signing Jesus a 25 year old Brazil international with multiple EPL titles as a B. Sterling to CHELSEA an A the same as Richarlson to Spurs an A and all Liverpool and Man City as As.
They basically rate Jesus the same as the Dutch player Man Utd signed and less than Botman to Newcastle.
I get it that it’s subjective but Jeez.
Lazy journos basically, not worth your time.
Their rating is as valuable as a used voucher. Anything outside what happens on the pitch and their general behaviour as representatives of the values of the club they represent is meaningless theorising by men (and women) angling for relevance.
It’s been going on like this for years. Best bit is, they gave Man City an A for selling Jesus and paying for almost all of Haaland deal with that money, which is something you would hear a 12 year of say on Twitter it’s that patently untrue. They are fairly incompetent and ill informed over there so best to not get riled up and ignore them.
Exactly.
I honestly could give two fishes tits what ESPN think.
Dont give them the clicks
I stopped watching those hacks 7 years ago! Distinct anti-arsenal bias and poorly informed. Why waste your time?
I did the exact same thing. The only thing I can say in their favour is that James and Andrew both used to write some articles for them, and without that i wouldn’t have found them here.
Only guys worth their salt over there are Marcotti and Sid Lowe (who is also at the Guardian). Marcotti is a realllllly good writer though.
He is an excellent writer and a formidable analyst.
Jonathan Liew from the Guardian is a hoot and a half
When he was at the Telegraph, he credited this very site for a gag he reused.
He probably still follows this place…
Excellent journo – has done some good cricket stuff too.
I’m giving you an F for even reading ESPN
Richarlison is a terrible signing by the Spurs I don’t get it. He’s a poor finisher, poor passer, average dribbler at best and he creates occasions at an average rate. On top of that, he plays the same position as Son Heung-min and he cost a fortune..
How can you rate that more than a C- at the very best ?
Dives well
He’ll fit right in at spurs so.
I think this is a weird signing as Levy is usually such a tight arse. To get, what seems essentially, a backup forward for 60 million, strikes me as really odd and makes me wonder whether Kane or Son will be sold. Let’s hope so!
who cares. Focus on us.
Read a piece the other day that was so much a love story to Spurs(by a Fulham fan no less!) that the writer was on the verge of taking them out for dinner & back to his for a night of Spursy love making. He called all of their signings “world class”(didn’t specify if he meant football or Olympic Diving for Richarlison though) & that Djed Spence would also be “another world class signing” & that Conte had made them Title & Champions League contenders(I carried on reading through the tears of laughter at this point) & that they were… Read more »
Strength in depth.
You actually watch football on ESPN?
I’d say a versatile CM that can play LB is better than a versatile CB that can play LB in regards to where our squad stands. Martinez looked decent but not for 50m, I’d take Zincheko for half the price all day long.
im gonna sound mean but i promise i don’t mean to: where do people get their info about players? martinez has almost never played left back in his entire career, just as zinchenko has almost never played cm before in his life. in about five seasons with city he’s only played there THREE times. he’s only played a few matches there with his national team because everyone else there sucks at football so they need him more involved in plays, that’s all. but yeah, i’d take him all day long too. maybe the most promising left back i can think… Read more »
As Tim Stillman is fond of saying, “100 percent.”
City are selling everybody.
I thought that. I wonder if FFP are up their arse.
Wait until electric cars are the norm and petrol has become a thing of the past… when oil holds about as much market value as Lord Percy’s ‘purest green’ in Blackadder II
City will go back to wearing Umbro and winning nothing, whilst Abramovich will be on a street corner shoe-shinning boots for the Russian Army.
I gave you an uptick simply because of the Blackadder ‘ purest green ‘ reference. Genius.👍
Be sure they‘ll invest more than they get in via sales.
FFP? What was that?
Aren’t they also buying?
Adebayo, Cliche, Kolo Toure and Nasri, all left the Emirates to the Etihad to lay the foundation for City’s later dominance in the EPL.
It’s pay back time.
No brainer this one as long as the fee is reasonable
Have the Arsenal broken Twitter?
Premiership experience, ECL experience and still only 25.
An absolute no-brainer; get this deal over the line.
So… is it fair to say you prefer him to Nuno? 😜
You could say that…😂
100%
I didn’t see much of MCFC last season but remind me, is there a reason why other big clubs are not after this guy?
25 million seems like a great deal for a PL ready player.
Just speculating, but in the case of non PL clubs, it could be the wages, as is often the case with our players. Let’s say you are Dortmund, Marseille, Lazio or Valencia and Zinchenko at City earns as much as your current top star and would only join for the same wages, you simply can’t do that.
On the other hand, if he doesn’t get the same pay as before, he might as well stay at City. I could imagine that to be the reason that there is not too much “interest” for a player like him.
Is there any reason why other big teams were not after Sterling?
It is not usually a pointer to a player’s worth or lack thereof.
Teams only strengthen in areas they need.
You don’t expect Barca, Madrid, PSG, Bayern, etc, to scramble for a player just because he is available.
Besides, the guy may have said it is Arteta or no-one else. We just missed out on L. Martinez because of the Ten Hag factor.
Bite their hand off quickly!!
I like this
Can Zinchenko play DM? as to have him cover our two most injury prone players would be excellent. Now let’s pray they don’t get injured at the same time 🙏
maybe he can, but he’s never played there in his life, so there’s no point
Another Man City reject. Just what we need to break into the top 4
Considering their back-ups could probably make a run at the top 4 it might be exactly what we need.
yeah it’s not like he’s been a starter for them in the champions league for years or anything lmao
Just wondering Liam, what was your view when we signed Sanchez, the Barca reject? Or indeed Ozil, the Real reject?
Though I don’t agree with the original post, what makes a player a reject vs a swoop?
Signing David Luiz and Willian felt like rejects
Signing Henry and Bergkamp were like taking a punt and winning the lottery.
Signing Sol Campbell was the swoopiest swoop ever
Jesus and Zinchenko… not wanted by City any more but definitely improve our squad
I mean, age is a major factor. Willian, Luis, even Cech — all were deteriorating, and we were hoping we could bash another couple of seasons out of them. Jesus and Zinchenko are in their prime, maybe even at an age where they can kick on.
Because a club doesn’t want a player, they are a “reject” and not worth buying. Great logic mate.
Would love the signing but didn’t zincheko recently said that if he moves to new club one of the stipulations was he wants to play in his original position at midfield.
Maybe that’s the plan.. dono why but I’m getting Philip Lahm being turned into a DM vibes off this. And then if tierney gets injured he covers instead of xhaka going back there
I wouldn’t think it would be a “stipulation” in terms of anything preventing a transfer. More of a preference, but I like his versatility, and he will know exactly what’s expected of him before he signs.
arteta: edu, i don’t want anymore chelsea rejects.
Edu: i see you prefer city’s rejects. done.
Mo Salah was a Chelsea reject. Its not Willians all the way down…
Is a player a “reject” every time he signs for another club? In that case, every club signs rejects.
Please, let’s stop this “reject” nonsense. It’s boring, unimaginative, and ultimately false.
I would be so happy if we prioritise Zinchenko. Superb utility player that can excel in multiple positions we require cover in: full back, midfield and wide attack. Hard worker, in his prime and seems to have a good mentality. I don’t see any downsides.
Never heard of him. Get it done!
I don’t mind the intent of that transfer, but I just don’t like the player. If Jesus is 45m signing with the quality of an 80m one, Zinchenko would be a 25m signing with the quality of a… 25m one. We are trying to go to the next level, but this is a just-above-average player.
Happy to be proven wrong though.
I’d be delighted with him he gives us so many options
Can obviously play LB,
LWB with Tierney LCB in a 5
LM to close a game out
LCM alongside Partey
He’s a superb passer and great ball retention even better than I ever thought when seeing him.for Ukraine
He can easily be super option with or without KT at LB but if Partey is to be OK for the season Zinks could.spell end of Xhaka
HIs youtube vs Scotland playing CM is up there with Jay Emmanuel Thomas. Footwork is nifty
Think of it this way, would you take him over Tavares? Does he make the squad stronger? Absolutely. In an ideal world Tierney stays fit, and Zinchenko breathes down his neck. If we lose Tierney I feel much, much more confident with Zinchenko that Tavares (and don’t get me wrong, I actually quite like Tavares).
We dropped points last season simply due to depth. So we not only have to try and pickup some nailed on, first eleven starters. But also guys that bring the overall level of the squad up. There are tonnes of games this year.
No brainer. EPL and Europe experience. Played under Pep. Won silverware. Worked with Arteta already. Decent fee. Versatile. Better backup to Tierney than Tavares, and just might usurp him if he stays fit and plays well.
Well, he is going to cry at his presentation too but that’s totally fine if he could just come in and do the job.
skip the middle man.. get cucurella directly
Would be a great signing. City are haemorrhaging some really good players at the moment. It reminds me a little of the sudden dismantling of the Invincibles, although we went on to use kids and City have just signed a monster striker. Still, can only hope this all works out horribly for them.
If we can end up nicking two of their players that’s good going.
This needs to be the summer where we go from a dominant team to a ruthlessly efficient one.
Very interesting that Arsenal seem to be looking around for expensive left CBs: first Martinez, now Josko Gardviol … It looks like Arsenal wants to sell Gabriel M to Juve. Would be very appealing proposition for Gabriel: nailed on starting position (replacing Chiellini), more money, champions league football. In return Arsenal will get about 30 – 40 mill and Arthur Melo (yes, him) as CDM. Edu and Arteta have been hunting after Melo for 7 months. Didn’t get him in January because the board refused to make a financial commitment at the end of a loan so Juve walked away.… Read more »
Gabriel is a brilliant young centre back with a massive ceiling. Selling him after 2 seasons growing in stature and consistency in the PL – unless he’s trying to force himself out – would be stupid beyond belief
That’s not to say you’re wrong with your prediction
Gabriel is easily the strongest defender in the team. But I think Arteta’s top priority is the build-up. He wants highly technical ball-players who will transfer the ball from the first third to the last third and then either score on the counter or box in opponents. That’s also his second and third priorities! It is also incredibly hard against a Man City / Liverpool / Chelsea press.
I agree Gabriel is relatively limited on the ball compared to White and Saliba, but he does still move the ball quickly and accurately, even if not that expansively. I don’t recall many times he’s given up chances or missed clear counterattack opportunities, and surrounded by quality ball players his relative lack of playmaking skills aren’t any kind of problem If Arteta is trying to shift our best defender because of it, it feels a tad like blinkered idealism imo Sometimes I find it preferable when defensive players move the ball quickly to the real talents eg Partey (let’s hope… Read more »
Would be the most sensible signing in the world