The transfer window has officially closed, but clubs were allowed to submit deal sheets between 17:00 BST and 19:00 BST to allow them to complete deals past the 19:00 BST deadline. This only works if both clubs in a deal have reached an agreement already. Nottingham Forest and Arsenal appear to have done this, with Oleksandr Zinchenko set for a last-minute loan to the East Midlands.
Nottingham Forest Confirm Huge Last-Minute Coup
Straight Loan for Oleksandr Zinchenko
David Ornstein has revealed that Nottingham Forest have managed to secure the services of Zinchenko for the 2025/26 season. They found a “last-minute agreement” with Arsenal for the left-back, and he will now join on a straight loan. This means that there will be no option or obligation to buy.
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They reportedly submitted a deal sheet when their move for Javi Galan collapsed. An agreement had originally been met, with Fabrizio Romano giving his “Here We Go” for the transfer, but documents were not ready in time for it to go through.
Both Arsenal and Forest are “confident” that this one was done in time, as the 21:00 BST deadline has passed for deal sheet transfers.
Perfect Alternative to Javi Galan
Forest were bringing Galan in as they required another left-back; Neco Williams did not really have a strong back-up. However, Galan also provided experience, both as a top-flight player but also in European competition. Zinchenko has exactly that: he has won four Premier League titles with Manchester City and has played in seven different Champions League campaigns.
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This experience will be crucial as the Tricky Trees face the Conference League this year, with many players in their squad entering unfamiliar territory.