Arsenal have ticked yet another box of the checklist they brought coming into the ongoing summer transfer window. The goal, this time around, was to build on the squad reconstituted last summer – in first team quality, seconded by similar levels of depth. Mikel Arteta & Edu are conducting a plausible job again, having managed to bring in Marquinhos and Matt Turner where the former is a rated prospect from Brazil while later is a USNMT keeper looking to go shoulder-to-shoulder with Aaron Ramsdale and that was followed by Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira where the former is Arsenal’s new number nine as the latter will help the Gunners to deal with mid & low blocks with depleted risk and more consistency. Now, Arsenal are on verge of signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is one of the names that was mentioned in abundance when Arsenal were pursuing Lisandro Martinez. The Ukrainian not only costing cheaper but also has that Premier League experience and a considerable height advantage than the one that is going to the Reds from Manchester. Zinchenko comes in to solve multiple muddles at Arsenal;
Oleksandr can play as backup to Kieran Tierney, who has had quite his share of injury problems since joining Arsenal. Although moreover, Zinchenko can also play a #8, #6, as well as AM role quite impressively. He could be a rabbit-out-of-the-hat long-term heir to that Granit Xhaka’s place in the squad. Zinchenko is not only press resistant, in-fact he likes to invite pressure before releasing the ball and that helps the squad massively to turnover on build-ups.
If you saw Arsenal’s last game against Everton at Baltimore, GX was playing quite high up the pitch. Xhaka does have a lot to give to this side but he is not as smooth in the final third as it requires to get the opponents by surprise – it becomes a bit slower and more predictable. That is where the links to the likes of Lucas Paqueta and Youri Tielemans come in, and in-face so does the probable involvement of Fabio Vieira. But even Oleksandr Zinchenko plays quite a similar role for his nation.
In the fixture above, there are glimpses of how effective Zinchenko can prove to be when presented with that attacking role.
That by no means mean we would not go for the likes of Tielemans, but it does mean that Arsenal have added someone who is a technical beast that loves to invite pressure and free his teammates i.e. runners into space. Here is where the likes of Martinelli and Odegaard can thrive when getting that space in half-spaces (GM11 on the left and Ø in the middle or right half-space). Having got a technician in Zinchenko means Arsenal and Arteta can explore running options in the middle now. Someone like Aaron Ramsey – to better your understanding.
ABOUT THE DEAL:
Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal is a HERE WE GO! An expected (guaranteed) fee of £30m has been agreed with Man City. Contract expected until June 2026.
Arsenal are expecting him to link up with the squad in the USA, as he already is in the States on tour with Manchester City. Medicals due. Arteta is pushing to wrap up formalities soon.
