West Ham and Arsenal ‘set to battle it out for Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko’
West Ham and Arsenal ‘are set to battle it out for Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer’, with both clubs desperate for the Ukrainian’s versatility across defence and midfield
- Oleksandr Zinchenko is reportedly a summer target for Arsenal and West Ham
- Manchester City star is sought after due to his adaptability and versatility
- Zinchenko had kept transfer talks on hold for Ukraine’s World Cup campaign
- With Ukraine knocked out in the play-off final, clubs could now approach
- West Ham and Arsenal will want to fill midfield vacancies for the new season
Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko is reportedly a summer transfer target for Premier League sides Arsenal and West Ham United.
The Ukraine star’s versatility across both defence and midfield has attracted interest from Arsenal and West Ham after both qualified for European competitions, and they are looking to build squads capable of dealing with the fixture congestion.
Zinchenko, 25, had previously kept any transfer talks on hold in order to give his full attention to Ukraine’s World Cup qualification campaign, but following their 1-0 defeat to Wales, clubs could now make their approaches.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s Ukraine fell at the final hurdle for World Cup qualification against Wales
Both the Gunners and the Hammers will be looking to shore up their midfields if they are to adequately prepare for four different competitions next season.
While Arsenal boast Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka as their regular starting pair in central midfield, Mikel Arteta wants to add depth to the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga as he prepares for a return to the Europa League.
Equally, the Hammers will be losing club captain Mark Noble and on-loan Alex Kral in the summer, which leaves very scant cover for Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice, who could also be on his way out of the east London club.
Zinchenko has won 10 trophies with Manchester City, including four Premier League titles
And with both sides also looking for cover at left-back, Zinchenko represents perhaps the best solution, given that he is adept at playing in both roles.
It is thought that City will not stand in the way of a move if Zinchenko decides he wants to leave, but for a manager that values versatility above almost anything, he will surely be a sore loss for Pep Guardiola.
Zinchenko would bring a wealth of winning experience to any side, having won four Premier League titles and four Carabao Cups at City, along with an FA Cup and a Community Shield. He also finished with a Champions League runners-up medal in 2020-21.
Ukraine lost to Wales after Andriy Yarmolenko headed Gareth Bale’s free-kick into his own net
Arsenal are also thought to be exploring the possibility of signing the Ukrainian’s City team-mate Gabriel Jesus to fix their striker woes.
The Gunners have appeared toothless at times this season, and Alexandre Lacazette has since confirmed he will not be staying at the club after his contract expires in June.
That leaves just Eddie Nketiah, who is expected to sign a new long-term deal, and youngster Folarin Balogun at the club, so Arteta will be desperate to land Jesus, who he worked with for three years at City.
