Oleksandr Zinchenko joined Nottingham Forest late on transfer deadline day, with the player making a loan move despite being in the final 12 months of his Arsenal deal.
LONDON, ENGLAND: Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal applauds the fans at the end of the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Emirates Stadium on November 23, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Arsenal had looked to sell Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer, with clubs like Olympique Marseille showing interest right up until the end of the transfer window.
Yet The Athletic report that despite initial optimism from Arsenal of a deal, Zinchenko was unable to come to terms with the Gunners or Marseille over his departure, which was described as “frustrating for all parties”.
Instead, Zinchenko secured a last-minute loan move to Nottingham Forest, with Forest turning to him after their move for Atletico Madrid’s Javi Galan fell through. But that raises the question of why Arsenal would agree to a loan for a player whose deal will be up in 2026.
LONDON, ENGLAND: Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal takes his coat off after the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3 match between Arsenal FC and FC Shakhtar Donetsk at Emirates Stadium on October 22, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
There’s obviously no purchase clause in Zinchenko’s deal with Forest, given he’ll be available as a free agent next summer. But Tom Canton of Football.London reports Arsenal did at least receive a loan fee.
Arsenal will also benefit from Forest covering Zinchenko’s wages during his loan spell, so there were certainly some financial benefits. But that would have been true of a permanent transfer as well.
So why a loan? Firstly, a loan deal would have been easier to do, which is a signifcant factor with such a short amount of time to complete a deal.
There’s also the small bonus of the fact Zinchenko can’t play against Arsenal this season. Nottingham Forest’s next game happens to be against the Gunners, but Zinchenko will be ineligible to debut in the encounter.
CARSON, CALIFORNIA: Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal FC celebrates after scoring during the penalty kick shootout against AFC Bournemouth at Dignity Health Sports Park on July 24, 2024. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
But the primary benefits of a loan are probably on Zinchenko’s end. He doesn’t have to commit to Nottingham Forest long-term, he can still collect loyalty bonuses from Arsenal at the end of his deal, and he can try and get a big sign-on fee from his next club in 2026.
The player’s demands ended up seeing the Marseille deal fall through, so clearly they were a significant hurdle to overcome. A loan deal may have greased the wheels a bit on that front.
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