Arsenal to replace Oleksandr Zinchenko, following Aston Villa horror show: report

Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 17, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko has no future at the club, with the Gunners looking to part with him this summer.

That's according to one report following Arsenal's calamitous defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend, which took hopes of winning a first Premier League title in 20 years out of their hands. The Ukrainian was particularly poor in the second half for the Gunners in what was a rare start and came under staunch criticism on social media.

Jakub Kiwior has been preferred in recent weeks, with the Pole offering better defensive coverage – and now it seems as if Arsenal might look to replace Zinchenko altogether this summer. 

Jakub Kiwior holding the Champions League ball as Arsenal play Lens

Jakub Kiwior has replaced Zinchenko (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Athletic claims that Arsenal have not offered the 27-year-old a new deal, despite his contract winding down to its final two years. 

Sporting director Edu Gaspar has been proactive in tying down key members of the squad at this stage in their deals – but with Arsenal looking to bring in a new left-back this summer, there are seemingly no plans for Zinchenko to extend his stay in north London beyond two years.

In FourFourTwo's view, moving on from the former Manchester City man is the sensible decision. Arsenal no longer rely on the Ukrainian for their buildup, with the system having moved on from his talents – and the benefits of his ability in possession no longer outweigh his defensive liabilities.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with Sporting Directorduring a training session at NAS Sports Complex on January 13, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Arsenal pair Arteta and Edu aren't offering Zinchenko a new deal (Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal have been linked with Ajax left-back, Jorrel Hato.

Zinchenko is valued at €42 million by Transfermarkt

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Ousmane Diomande has apparently chosen Arsenal over Chelsea, while Joao Gomes is an option, tooJoshua Zirkzee is also said to be an optionEvan Ferguson has been tracked and Evanilson is being monitored by both the Gunners and Newcastle.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, meanwhile, has claimed he wishes to help with the Ukrainian war effort

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.