With a squad overhaul expected at Arsenal this summer, Oleksandr Zinchenko is likely to face another emotional farewell with Mikel Arteta after three years at the club.
The Ukrainian full-back formed a strong connection with Arteta during their time together at Manchester City, where Arteta served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant. When Arteta departed the Etihad in 2019, Zinchenko was visibly upset, later admitting that if he ever left City, he would only do so to reunite with Arteta. That wish came true in 2022 when he joined the Gunners.
“I remember when Mikel was leaving City, I couldn’t hold back my emotions. This guy was so special to me,” Zinchenko told the Daily Mail in 2023. “He taught me a lot. If one day I left City and stayed in the Premier League, it would be for only one manager: Mikel Arteta.”
However, his time at Arsenal now appears to be nearing its end. Having made just 16 appearances this season, Zinchenko seems to have fallen down the pecking order, with the arrivals of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, as well as the emergence of youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly.
With his contract running until the summer of 2026, the 28-year-old is expected to attract significant interest in the transfer market. According to the Daily Mail, he is one of several players Arsenal could offload to raise funds, alongside Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney, and Jorginho.
As the Gunners aim to strengthen their squad and finally push past their ‘nearly men’ status in the Premier League, Zinchenko could soon find himself working under a new manager once again.
