LONDON, July 20 — Arsenal are set to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Premier League champions Manchester City for a fee in the region of £32 million (RM170.8 million) after the clubs agreed a deal, British media reported on Tuesday.
Sky Sports said Arsenal will pay £30 million up front with £2 million pounds in add-ons, with the 25-year-old leaving City’s training camp in America to link up with the London side who are also on a US pre-season tour.
Zinchenko will become Arsenal’s second recruit from City in the close season — after Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus — and their fifth signing overall after winger Marquinhos, goalkeeper Matt Turner and attacking midfielder Fabio Vieira.
A Shakhtar Donetsk youth product, Zinchenko began his senior career in the Russian Premier League with Ufa before signing for City in 2016 as a 19-year-old after playing for Ukraine at the 2016 European Championship.
Primarily a midfielder when on international duty, Zinchenko has often been deployed as a left back by Pep Guardiola at City. But he has found playing time hard to come by with Joao Cancelo the preferred option on the left side of defence.
Zinchenko has played 52 times for Ukraine, scoring eight times. For City, he has made 127 appearances in all competitions, including the 2021 Champions League final where City finished runners-up to Chelsea.
He has won four Premier League titles, four League Cups and one FA Cup with City.
Zinchenko’s arrival will give Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta squad depth in the left back position with Nuno Tavares failing to impress last season when first choice defender Kieran Tierney’s season came to a premature end due to injury.
Arsenal, who finished fifth last season, begin their league campaign on Aug. 5 with a London derby at Crystal Palace. — Reuters
