Arsenal are willing to let Oleksandr Zinchenko leave the club this summer amid interest from Newcastle United and Bayern Munich.
The Gunners signed Oleksandr Zinchenko, 27, from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, and the left-back made a strong start to life in north London, seamlessly fitting into Mikel Arteta’s system. He enjoyed a fine debut campaign at the Emirates Stadium but his second year hasn’t gone according to the plan, majorly due to niggling injuries.
The Ukrainian international has struggled for both fitness and form, managing only 17 starts of 21 Premier League games thus far. He has missed the last four league games with a calf problem, and while it was expected he would be at least on the bench against Sheffield United on Monday, the left-back missed out.
As a result, Zinchenko’s future now at the Emirates Stadium has become uncertain. The Gunners have reportedly set an asking price of €45 million for the 27-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window.
Newcastle to battle Bayern for Oleksandr Zinchenko?
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is keen to bolster his defensive options during the summer transfer window. With Dan Burn not a long-term solution at left-back, Matt Targett enduring an injury-hit campaign and Lewis Hall linked with a potential loan exit after struggling for game time, he wants a new left-back for the 2024/25 campaign. Zinchenko, thus, would be a viable target for the Magpies.
As for Bayern Munich, Zinchenko has become among the top targets to replace Alphonso Davies, who looks nailed on to join Real Madrid at the end of the season. The Ukrainian appears to be a tempting option for the Bundesliga giants due to his versatility, technical attributes and European pedigree.
Despite Zinchenko struggling with injury problems this season, most Arsenal fans would want him to stay at the club. He may be a liability defensively but his ability to drift into midfield, make passing angles and help Arteta’s side dominate possession will be hard to replace. At the same time, though, some Arsenal supporters might argue that they have coped well and looked more robust in defence in his absence, with Jakub Kiwior deputising well at left-back.
So, it will be interesting to see which club comes in for Zinchenko and meets his €45 million asking price.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
