Arsenal are hoping to complete a deal with Manchester City to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko earlier this week.
It is understood that Ukraine’s total international transfer fee will be around £30m, which is not expected to be a problem.
Negotiations are continuing on the deal, and there is growing confidence that it could be finalized soon.
Zinchenko has spent more than six years at Man City after joining the club as a teenager from Ufa, Russia.
The 25-year-old, who was coached by Mikel Arteta during his time as Arsenal manager’s assistant to Man City boss Pep Guardiola, can play in a variety of positions, including left-back and centre-back.
Arsenal have been in the market for a left-back and are interested in signing Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez from Ajax.
Man City, meanwhile, want to bring in a left-back and remain interested in Brighton’s Marc Cucurella, as well Sky Sports news it was revealed earlier in June.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed an impressive first season in the Premier League after joining from Getafe for £15m last summer.
Brighton do not want Cucurella to leave and it would take a lot of money to sell him as he has four years left on his contract at the Amex.
Why the versatile, reliable Zinchenko fits the Arsenal loan
Oleksandr Zinchenko is known to be flexible and reliable at Manchester City
Sky Sports football reporter Sam Blitz:
“Mikel Arteta has been looking for additions on the left and in midfield in this summer’s transfer window. The Gunners wanted Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez, who has experience in both play and centre-half, but now looks set to move to Manchester United. Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans has also been assessed but that interest has waned in recent weeks.
“There is a reason why Arsenal’s manager needs help in this position. At left back, Kieran Tierney has been injured for some time in the last two years at a difficult time and when Nuno Tavares was signed as a cover last summer, the young Portuguese. The full-backs struggled big time and sat behind Cedric Soares and Granit Xhaka in the left back system at the end of the season.
“In the middle, Xhaka is the future in Arteta’s team but there is little competition for his work. Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga all compete for the same position in Arsenal’s midfield, leaving Xhaka as the number 8.
“When he plays in the middle, a role he plays regularly around the world, Zinchenko competes with Xhaka at Arsenal – and a closer look at their warm-up last season shows that the two play in the same role, although the Ukrainian played at left-back and the Arsenal man operated from the middle.
Oleksandr Zinchenko plays as a midfielder for Ukraine
“On the ball, Zinchenko’s passing numbers are higher than Xhaka’s – but this is to be expected for Guardiola’s City to keep the ball and use it better than Arsenal. Zinchenko and City defended better than Arsenal last summer, but the Ukrainian midfielder’s defensive numbers are still Xhaka’s. Zinchenko he won more games, tackled more challenges in the air than the Swiss midfielder – a reminder that these two players work around the same field.”
Read the full article here.
Arsenal have conceded defeat to Man Utd by sacking Lisandro Martinez
Manchester United are close to completing a deal with Ajax for Lisandro Martinez, while Arsenal have conceded defeat in their pursuit of the Argentine.
The 24-year-old has said he wants to reunite with Erik ten Hag and a £45m deal has been completed.
If all goes as United would like, Martinez is set to link up with the club during their pre-season tour of Australia.
Jesus got 90 seconds in Arsenal
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Arsenal’s new signing Gabriel Jesus scored on his debut for the club in a friendly against FC Nurnberg
Gabriel Jesus, who also achieved what Zinchenko was able to do earlier this summer, scored 90 seconds into his first game for Arsenal as his brace helped the Gunners to a 5-3 win over Germany’s FC Nurnberg.
The Brazilian striker arrived at half-time in Germany with the Gunners 2-0 down – and made an immediate impact, firing into the net from Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ pass.
Mohammed Elneny then struck a wonder to equalize for Mikel Arteta’s side, before two Nurburgring goals from Christpher Schindler and Tim Handwerker gave the Gunners a 4-2 advantage.
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