David Ornstein reports this evening that Oleksandr Zinchenko is set to join Arsenal in a deal worth around £30m.
🚨 EXCL: Arsenal finalising move for Oleksandr Zinchenko from Man City after reaching agreement in principle on 4yr contract. Fee £30m + £2m achievable adds & now personal terms in place too. If all goes to plan, medical then sign @TheAthleticUK #MCFC #AFC https://t.co/H1ltVpVjK5
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 18, 2022
The Ukraine international has been the target since Lisandro Martinez decided to join up with his former manager, [look up the baldy lad’s name], at Man Utd.
The 25 year old can play left back and in central midfield, adding another dynamic, versatile player to the squad and someone Mikel Arteta knows well from his time at Man City.
Speaking in the US, the manager played his cards close to his chest, saying, “Until the end of the market we will keep trying to improve the squad and there are so many parties involved and sometimes things are not as quick as you want.’
“There is no update with anybody and when there are updates we will let you know.
“We’re looking at different options in different positions and we’ll give you an update when we have it.”
However, it seems that Zinchenko will become the fifth signing of the summer after the arrivals of Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos – and it’s feasible the deal could see him join up with his new teammates before the end of the US tour.
Great addition. I like the way this lad plays. We are building a solid squad.
Welcome to Arsenal son.
Enjoy playing for a big club that actually has supporters and history and an identity and all that stuff that makes a big club a big club.
You might not win as much as if you stayed at City.
But your tweets are going to get retweeted to fuck.
And who’s to say he won’t. Mikel is assembling a team of energy-efficient underdog killers who were all child prodigies (so super talented).
Apparently Arteta wanted sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads but super talented underdog child killers was all Edu could get.
You might not win the league with your club again but you still have a good chance of winning the FA Cup.
A seemingly bottomless pit of despair and negativity.
Great age,the right experience,lots of technical security on the ball…I wonder if the plan is also for him to deputize at the base of the midfield-6? All 4 outfield players we’ve bought are creative…..what a summer!
The new Philip Lahm. You heard it here first
More like a Kimmich I think?
Joshua is 10kg more than both guys @75kg and about 2.5 inches taller at 5.9
This one feels like a goody. Quality player…
Things are getting tremendously exciting here! Get on!
If it gets any more exciting around here, I can see Big Willy extending.
Yes a Big Willy extension would be most welcome to ensure that hole is filled for the forseeable.
Oh urethral engorgement jokes 😏
Urethral Engorgement. You do realise, that’s the first away game in the Europa League.
Nonsense! Urethral Engorgement were the first Moldavian grind band to be signed. Their first album, Sus Fundul Spuds, is still considered a genre classic.
At the Olympik Stadion in Pubes?
Or playing with Young Boys at the Wankdorf Stadium?
A Saka renewal will kill us!
I didn’t realise Willy Young was still playing for us. Who knew?!
Another great signing. We are building a really good squad. Zinchenko gives us a great option in midfield and at left back. A right back in addition would make for a fantastic window. One more midfielder would make it even better.
Need another striker to complement / switch up with Jesus.
If Flo goes out on loan again, Martinelli can also play up front.
And he’s not shy.
We’ve got Ted
Axel Foley.
Agreed. We get a quality and flexibility with this one. A colleague is a City supporter and he responded as follows when I asked what he thinks of him:
With regards to Oleksander, I would be more sorry to see him go than Jesus. He’s a very underrated player, smart, tough and skilfull. He does a great job at left back for us, plays much further forward for Ukraine. I trust our management and if they feel it’s better for him to leave then ok, but I think it leaves a gap in our squad that’s not easy to address.
Or we just keep Bellerin.
Really pleased with this and if Tielemans does join in this window then, frankly, it’s hats off to Edu and Arteta
And the owners, let’s be fair. They were criticised in the past and rightly so, but last summer and now they’ve really helped the club.
Haven’t been this excited as a fan in a long time (which says a lot, considering how we ended last season).
I agree, but with the caveat that we don’t know on what terms the finance is being provided. For some reason I have an innate distrust of billionaires, their methods of working and indeed, motives!
Just enjoy it mate. It’s not our money. The club will be here after them. They are definitely not looking to depreciate their asset, so they have to be active to keep up, and stay up.
Once again, if the Kroenke’s, HMRC, our accountants, Directors, Edu, Arteta, the players are all happy with financial activity, why do fans focus so much on money?
I agree with you. Enjoy it. I know the club needs to be run in a responsible way but worrying about how we finance deals is a bit like complaining that your girlfriend took a loan for her boob job instead of paying in cash. Just enjoy it!
Unless of course you don’t like fake boobs. This analogy is going nowhere fast.
Top post, well said.
👍🍺
I’m not so worried w Edu and Arteta at the wheel about financing the money from KSE with their approach to squad building. But having and idiot in charge or someone who has a lot of self interest (cough, cough, Sanelli) can turn a big club into Leeds.
So you have any idea on how they fund these deals? Nope. Me neither. None of us do. Apart from the fact that the Kroenkes loan Arsenal the money to spend then take back that money and more to compensate. How much they take back is of course open to speculation. But it ain’t no free money from Stan if that’s what you think this is!!
The sun is out, Arsenal are signing great players – your “not a natural goal scorer” is, in fact, scoring goals – and you’re still moaning.
Everyone knows (or should know) that the monies are merely non-interest-free loans from Stan and Josh.
We wanted the club to show ambition; they’re showing it. We wanted investment; we’re seeing it. We wanted good players; we’re signing them.
Treat yourself to a beer and smile FFS.
I feels like Arsenal iare not convinced with Tielemans and now Zinchenko arriving, who wants to play midfield generally, it looks even less likely. Let’s face it, Tielemans clearly wanted to come for some time and Liecester are willing sellers with one year on the contract.
I’ve got a sneaky feeling we might still go in for him.
We definitely need strength in depth in the engine room.
Absolutely.
This time last year, we all of us had every right to moan.
Not any more.
Any fool can see that the club are making strides in the right direction – even those jealous idiots in the media; it’s why they’re coming out with so much anti-Arsenal crap.
Bad news for Tierney?
I hate to say it but we can’t trust that Tierney stays healthy…
He’s the new Ramsey, a fantastic luxury player when available but you can’t build around him.
I wonder if Arsenal lacks a psyche conditioning coach. Theoretically The mind-body balance can help you avoid injuries, this is the position I intend to serve Mikel for.
Hate to say it because I love the guy, but you’re spot on.
Bad news for Tavares, who I really like. But a good loan could be better for his growth than being number 2.
No – healthy competition.
And if Tierney wants to win the big pots – and I suspect he does – then he’ll understand that from now on in, it’s all about the squad.
I think Mikel has sold the move to him mainly as a midfield slot, but left back cover as well.
He prefers midfield like AMN?
I’m wondering if he’s being sought to play in the same area of the pitch as Xhaka did in the second part of last season when he played a bit further up. Then, if KT gets injured, he can provide cover at left back
I know they aren’t the same player, but it seems what would be asked of Zinchenko and Martinez at Arsenal would overlap quite a bit, and I’d take Zinchenko 10 times out of 10. Surprised City were so willing to let him go, and I love this deal!!! Have we fleeced MU into overpaying for a player they were likely to get regardless??
Yes.
We probably have.
Good ‘innit? 😊
What a lovely thought. And on a Monday to boot. Thank you. How long will that baldy lad last you reckon?
It’s taken us a minute but it’s good to see a transfer coming together ohh so lovely.
Rather pay £30m for him and have nearly 30 left, than best part of 60 on Martinez
This is a great signing. He could well start the season at left back, allowing Tienery to be fully fit before challenging.
Spot on.
Yet one has to ask …why City wants to sell?
Big profit and they’re after a full squad rehaul… they’re not winning the CL so have decided a big change is in order… lucky for us!
Reminds me of the dismantling of the Invincibles to be honest. Selling Sterling, Jesus and Zinchenko to rivals is kind of a madness to me. Other than Haaland who have they actually brought in?
I’m really hoping this is City’s undoing. With Mane leaving Liverpool too we might just get that bit closer to the top three this season.
Liverpool without Mané but with Nuñez and Diaz will be stronger than last year. City with Haaland and Phillips shouldn’t be much weaker.
Chelsea is the one we can overtake next year. They just lost their whole defence, all their attacking players want to leave, and their midfielders aren’t getting any youngerr.
Mate, what are you on about? Last time I looked, they still had Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Reece James and that cheating moany twat Azpilicueta – to name but four.
And they’ve just signed Sterling.
Pains me to say it, but they’ll still be no pushovers, the fuckers.
Experienced Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly will weaken them, you mean?
Well, they’ve brought in Phillips from Leeds and are targeting Cucurella as a left back so maybe the thinking is that those deals will give them sufficient cover in that area of the pitch. Julian Alvarez has come in from River Plate I think it is but he plays further forward.
The thing with clubs like City or PSG is that not a lot of clubs can afford the salaries of their players. They pay solid players what would be star player money for most European clubs.
That’s why PSG can’t sell Icardi or Draxler. Clubs like Bayern, Barça, Real, Milan or Juventus can afford those wages only for superstars.
City sells to rival clubs because only rival clubs can afford their players.
It is quite mad strengthening a rival (haha!) when you’re well known to have buckets of cash. I’ll definitely take it though.
He’s a bit of picked on there. I’m glad he’s here
¢it¥ have virtually infinite amounts of cash, so they end up with lots of top players. I’m not sure it’s the case that ¢it€ħ want to sell, more that some players are more interested in playing than collecting a massive wage.
city are upping the percentage of homegrown players in their squad
I guess it’s mainly that he’s a rotation option there who has already achieved a lot without a realistic possibility of ever becoming a regular starter. He’s 25, might want a new challenge, we want him and we are offering City a fair deal, so it looks to me like a perfect deal for everyone involved.
Who cares? Fuck ‘em! 😂
The last club you should be worrying about the welfare of, pal, is Manchester City.
player not satisfied with game time, much like Jesus
Who doesn’t love a honest underdog❤️
I’m happy
Nwanne You should Be. We just signed the new Philippe Lahm at his ripe age
Absolutely buzzing about this one. It’s going to be good to have 1st team quality cover/competition for KT. However, does anyone reckon that he might be used more as competition for Xhaka? I haven’t watched him enough to comment but he keeps being described as a midfielder in the press. Is this lazy journalism or is this what he would ultimately describe himself as?
He plays centrally for Ukraine. I’ve not seen Ukraine a lot of times, and not against the best opposition, but each time I remember thinking “He’s the best player on the pitch”.
This one seems like a really smart buy.
He’s an international AM and a Premiership winning club LB, with plenty of ECL experience.
And he’s still only 25.
That, my friend – at 30m – is an absolute bargain. 👍😊
Oh get in! 👊🏻
My fellow Gooners, this is a fucking massive signing – and don’t let Stan Collymore or any of those TalkSport twats or indeed any other anti-Arsenal tabloid ignoramus or paid up member of the living dead in a Spurs shirt tell you anything different.
A proven international attacking midfielder and Premiership/ECL left fullback and he’s still only 25. Get the absolute fuck in.
Fuck off Spurs and all the Neanderthals out there daft enough to still back you. 👊🏻
The Arsenal is where it’s at.🥂🍾
Indeed Chief
Much better signing than martinez, given we have 4 CBs and tomiyasu as emergency back up. Our CM depth looks more vulnerable than CB depth. And he’s tall. Only unfortunate thing is his first name is not gabriel.
I’m sure he could change it to Gabriel if it’d help. Give the place a more family atmosphere…
Gabriel is his middle name.
Imagine if Ainsley did what his managers wanted him to do, then we would have good cover for both our injury-prone fullbacks.
Great signing. Plugs multiple holes.
More fool AMN if he doesn’t buckle down and become a valued member of this squad.
He has a great opportunity at present and he’ll be doing himself no favours at all to look elsewhere.
Let’s face it, they’re hardly breaking down the Emirates doors to sign him….
That name though
Arteta’s playing the classic Wenger game with regards to new signings:
Arteta: “There is no update with anybody and when there are updates we will let you know”
Wenger: “We are not close to signing anyone. When we do, you’ll be the first to know!”
The Arsenal Way. 😉
Anybody know why only 4-year deal for a 25 y/o player? Why not 5? 4 is short.
More expensive for us since fee is amortized over 4 yrs rather than 5.
And in weaker negotiating position after just 2 seasons if we want to extend.