Arsenal have put together one of the best transfer windows in the Premier League this summer, and that’s been out of necessity as they’ve been second best in the Premier League for three years running and have to force the issue to finally bring home major silverware in the promising Mikel Arteta era.
Plus, the defending champions, Liverpool, have been plenty active, too, making the two biggest splashes of the window in Bundesliga stars Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz.
Meanwhile, Arsenal finally have a new striker in Viktor Gyokeres, a perfect midfield partner for Declan Rice in Martin Zubimendi, Chelsea winger Noni Madueke to add a backup to Bukayo Saka, and underrated Valencia center back Cristhian Mosquera in a bargain deal.
Now, Arsenal are focused on trimming the fat and selling off some players who are no longer important to the squad, and chief among those footballers is Oleksandr Zinchenko.
A key part of Arsenal’s initial push to the title
The Ukrainian left back was a key player for Arsenal at first, as Arteta brought him over from Manchester City alongside striker Gabriel Jesus to show his intent to win titles – and the two players helped Arsenal push for first.
Arsenal no longer need Zinchenko with Myles Lews-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori as left back options, so they’ve been actively looking for a buyer. And it looks like they’ve found one in the form of a former rival.
According to a report from Turkish journalist Sercan Hamzaoglu, Jose Mourinho wants to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko for Fenerbahce, and the Turkish giants have made a “good offer” to the Gunners for the left back. Zinchenko, per Hamzaoglu, also said that the offer from Fenerbahce is “very valuable”.
Zinchenko will reportedly take some time to make his decision, as Fenerbahce sporting director Devin Ozek continues to meet with the 28-year-old defender to try to get a deal over the line.
Mourinho is one of Arsenal’s great rivals in history as the Chelsea manager who always stymied Arsene Wenger and the Gunners in flipping the dominance of London from Red to Blue.
Now, he’s in the twilight of his career and trying hard to get Fenerbahce to overcome Galatasaray in Turkey, as both ambitious rivals have been stacking up big signings this season.
If added, Zinchenko would join Jhon Duran, Sofyan Amrabat, Nelson Semedo, and Milan Skriniar as the fifth high-profile signing of the transfer window and the fourth to have been a starter in the Premier League.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.