Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has admitted the 2024/25 campaign was the most difficult of his career, revealing that being left out of Mikel Arteta’s plans made him feel like “nothing.”
The 28-year-old Ukrainian, who joined Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022 for £30 million, opened up about his struggles in a new chapter of his updated autobiography, Believe. Once a pivotal figure in Arsenal’s title challenges, Zinchenko started just seven matches across the Premier League and Champions League last season, with his total game time limited to around 719 minutes in all competitions.
“In pure personal terms, it was easily the worst season I ever experienced as a professional,” he wrote via The Athletic. “A player who doesn’t play is nothing… Going from one of the established players of the side to unused sub is much harder to deal with.
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“The sense of rejection you feel if your manager no longer believes in you can take the stuffing out of you, even if you’re the most resilient guy on the planet.”
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko (Image credit: Getty Images)
Zinchenko attributed his reduced role to the rise of 18-year-old academy product Myles Lewis-Skelly, who established himself as first-choice left-back with a string of standout performances. “He’s a special talent. Such a good player. What he’s done is unbelievable, really,” Zinchenko said.
Arteta’s tactical shift toward more defensively robust and physically imposing options such as Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, and Jakub Kiwior, also played a part.
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Arsenal’s approach, which saw their average possession drop from 53.5% in 2022/23 to 43.3% in 2024/25 against top opposition, reduced the need for Zinchenko’s ball-playing qualities, while his 175cm frame made him less suited to the manager’s emphasis on aerial strength in set-piece situations.
Despite finishing second in the Premier League for the third consecutive year and securing Champions League football, Zinchenko’s personal frustrations underscore the fierce competition within the Arsenal squad.
With just one year remaining on his contract, his future remains uncertain. AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Fulham, and Fenerbahce have all been linked, with the Turkish club reportedly tabling a £13 million bid. Arsenal are prepared to sell, but Zinchenko could opt to run down his deal to explore more lucrative options as a free agent next summer.
Speaking recently about what lies ahead, the Ukraine international said: “I don’t know yet, to be honest. It’s still a long way to go until the end of the season.”
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