Arsenal star pushing for exit as Borussia Dortmund open talks

Tom Weber

Updated: 14 Jan 2025 11:01 GMT
3 min read

Borussia Dortmund have opened talks with Arsenal for Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is 'keen to leave,' according to German media.

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The Ukraine international has seen his influence under Mikel Arteta wane in recent seasons. When he arrived in 2022, he took Arsenal to a new level, but the Gunners quickly evolved beyond the need for the versatile full-back.

Injuries haven't helped his cause and the 28-year-old has only made seven Premier League appearances this term. All told, Zinchenko has featured in just 331 minutes of football across all competitions so far.

This is clearly not good enough for a four-time Premier League champion and several clubs have taken a keen interest in Zinechnko in recent weeks. Turkish media has reported a transfer battle between hated rivals Fenerbahce and Galatasaray for his signature, but the Ukrainian also has admirers in top-five leagues.

Dortmund open Zinchenko talks

According to Sky Germany, Borussia Dortmund are in ongoing talks with Arsenal over Zinchenko after approaching the Gunners in recent days.

The left-back is said to be 'keen to leave,' but it is not yet clear what kind of deal the two clubs may settle on. Arsenal are determined to secure a permanent sale or to loan him out with an obligation to buy in the region of €20 million.

Dortmund already held an interest in Zinchenko in the summer. He is seen as a potential alternative to Chelsea defender Renato Veiga, with whom the Bundesliga giants have agreed personal terms.

However, Chelsea are similarly gunning for a permanent deal and are reportedly asking for a fee in the region of €30m, which is deemed too expensive by Dortmund.

Strangely, Veiga is pushing to leave Chelsea because he wants to play in his favoured centre-back role as opposed to left-back, but Dortmund's interest in Zinchenko as well as the make-up of their current roster and Nuri Sahin's style of play suggests that the Portuguese is being viewed as full-back option.

Taking this into account, as well as Zinchenko's price, it appears as though a move for the Ukraine international is much more likely.