Arsenal have secured the signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City in a deal worth £30 million plus £2 million in add-ons.
As confirmed by the club’s official website, Arsenal have completed the signing of versatile Ukrainian international Oleksandr Zinchenko from Premier League rivals Manchester City. The 25-year-old joins the Gunners on a long-term contract.
Zinchenko had been with Manchester City since 2016 when he arrived from FK Ufa, soon after which he was loaned out to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven for a year. The 25-year-old had been at the Etihad Stadium ever since and made 127 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, scoring two goals and setting up two more.
A versatile operator who can play in central midfield or at left-back, Zinchenko was largely used in the latter position during his time at Manchester City. And he was a solid option to fall back on for Guardiola even though he was never a permanent fixture in the starting XI at the Etihad.
With Manchester City pushing to sign Marc Cucurella this summer, Zinchenko’s time with the Premier League champions has come to an end as he has joined Arsenal. The Gunners were in the market for a new left-back to compete with Kieran Tierney, who has had a woeful injury record since joining the club.
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Furthermore, with Nuno Tavares not making the best impression upon arriving last summer, Mikel Arteta was keen on shoring up his options in the left-back department. While Arsenal tried hard to sign Lisandro Martinez, they were forced to switch their focus to Zinchenko after the Argentine joined Manchester United.
Now, Arsenal have completed the capture of Zinchenko, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that the deal is worth £32 million (£30 million fixed + £2 million add-ons).
Upon the completion of the transfer, Arsenal manager Arteta, who knows Zinchenko from his stint as Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City, said: “We’re so happy Alex has joined us. He’s a player that I personally know really well and continued to follow him after my time at Manchester City. Alex is a high-quality player who will give us options and versatility.
“It’s not only about the positions he can play but as well, the versatility he will give us in attack and defence. Alex is a person with great human qualities and character, and I’m delighted that everyone has made this huge effort to bring Alex to the club.”
Zinchenko becomes Arsenal’s fifth summer signing following in the footsteps of Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos, Matt Turner and Gabriel Jesus, who also joined the Gunners from Manchester City.
