Will Newcastle's Eddie Howe or Everton boss David Moyes be interested in Oleksandr Zinchenko? | National World / Getty Imagesplaceholder image
Will Newcastle's Eddie Howe or Everton boss David Moyes be interested in Oleksandr Zinchenko? | National World / Getty Images | National World / Getty Images
Newcastle and Everton are both looking for full-back cover in the January transfer window
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s loan move to Nottingham Forest looked an intriguing one in the summer with the Tricky Trees set to fight on four fronts and having signed a host of higher-quality players who looked like they could transition to a more possession-based style of play. Yet the reality has been very different.
Possibly the most underwhelming four-time Premier League winner (there are worse things to be), Zinchenko is on course to play less top-flight minutes than he did last season and he’s started just 22% of Forest’s games as Neco Williams has demanded the lion’s share of game-time on the right flank.
His contract expires during the World Cup and there’s little chance Arsenal will keep him around but they will want to pay the smallest fraction of his wages possible for the next six months. That’s why it’s concerning for Mikel Arteta and co. that Nottingham Forest are considering cutting Zinchenko’s loan short according to BBC Sport, despite the deal having no official mechanism to end before the season finishes.
But if Arsenal could find a new suitor then Forest could be in luck, and both Everton and Newcastle United are in need of full-back cover.
Oleksandr Zinchenko could go to Everton or Newcastle
Jake O’Brien has been filling in at right-back ever since David Moyes took over at Everton and done it admirably, but the centre-back is obviously not the most attacking full-back and The Toffees could use a player there closer to the mould of Vitalii Mykolenko to improve their cutting edge in the final third.
Zinchenko has played the bulk of his career on the left but he also has experience on the right and is one of the more versatile so would be capable of filling in at the position. Despite his limited game time in the last year, he remains in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for passes into the final third, passes into the penalty area, through balls and touches in the attacking third (all per Opta via FBref).
However, Zinchenko wouldn’t be a perfect fit on Merseyside. He would be playing out of position, and Everton have the fourth-lowest possession in the Premier League so his strengths wouldn’t be maximised under David Moyes. Additionally, Capology estimates Zinchenko earns £120,000-150,000 at Arsenal and given Everton don’t look destined for a relegation scrap, there is little need to over-invest in a short-term fix this season while The Gunners would surely want the Ukranian’s new club to take a significant portion of his salary. Instead, Newcastle would be the perfect landing spot.
Newcastle the best match for club and player
It’s no secret that Newcastle’s need for full-back cover is even greater than Everton’s. Lewis Hall missed 30 games through injury in 2025 and Tino Livramento isn’t exactly bulletproof either, and behind them there’s only Emil Krafth (who’s currently out with a knee problem), Alex Murphy, and Kieran Trippier as specialist cover.
And unlike Everton Newcastle have lots to play for in the second half of the season. They look set to reach the Champions League Knockout Phase and could even jump straight into the last 16, while they also remain alive in the League Cup (for now) and FA Cup. Despite a shaky start to the campaign, The Magpies remain in contention for a top four or five finish in the league once again too, and Zinchenko could help them get there.
Despite having the fourth-most possession in the division, Newcastle are 10th for expected goals (xG) and Zinchenko is exactly the type of player who could fix that, averaging an assist every five games, better than Hall, Trippier, Livramento or any of The Magpies’ other options at the position.
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