Leandro Trossard and Alexander Zinchenko during Arsenal training (Photo by Alex Pantlin/Getty Images)
Arsenal left-back Alexander Zinchenko is a transfer target for Borussia Dortmund and is willing to leave the Emirates Stadium, according to reports.
The Bundesliga giants are said to have been interested in the Ukraine international for some time and have made some concrete contacts to explore the possibility of a deal being done in January this year.
Mikel Arteta drops huge transfer hint
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg reported on Zinchenko’s situation, saying the player would want to leave Arsenal, which makes sense as he has no longer been a player in the past year or so. He is now a regular in Mikel Arteta’s first team.
See Plettenberg’s post on X (formerly Twitter) below for more information…
????Excluded | Dortmund exploring deal to sign Alexander #zinchenko!
Specific negotiations with the player management have been held over the past few days and are ongoing. The 28-year-old left-back is keen to leave Arsenal.
Gunners open for loans, obliged… pic.twitter.com/AEbEPo3Os8
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) January 14, 2025
Zinchenko could be a useful signing for Dortmund at left-back, even if he has had his ups and downs at Arsenal of late.
The 28-year-old isn’t the most solid defensively, but his ability on the ball is excellent and so could still be an asset to many of Europe’s biggest clubs.
How Arsenal’s left-back role has evolved
Zinchenko joined Arsenal from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 and has had an excellent start to life at Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta’s requirements for the role appear to have changed in recent times.
Many of the Gunners’ best performances over the past year or so have come with stronger defenders in the position, even with the likes of Ricardo Calafiore, Jakub Chiviol and Miles Lewis ·A player like Skelly can also provide good passing ability in midfield.
However, Arteta has made Arsenal a solid defensive lineup, which has also made Zinchenko an obvious weak link in the backcourt. Now is undoubtedly the best time for both sides to part ways.
However, Arsenal have had some troubles with injuries, particularly Calafio, as he has struggled to stay fit since joining from Bologna in the summer, so letting such a useful player go may come with some risk .
