Declan Rice won’t be happy after what Arsenal announced on deadline day

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Arsenal had a frantic transfer deadline day.

While Arsenal only announced one new signing on deadline day, there was a spate of departures from the Emirates in the final hours of the transfer window.

A number of players left the club on deadline day, and the latest deal to be concluded centred around Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Zinchenko joined Nottingham Forest at the very end of the transfer window, and while Zinchenko has wanted to leave Arsenal for a while, some at the Emirates may not be too happy to see the Ukrainian go.

Indeed, the full-back was always a popular member of Mikel Arteta’s squad, and Declan Rice may be one player who isn’t too pleased to see the Ukrainian heading off.

Declan Rice won’t be happy to see Oleksandr Zinchenko leave

Zinchenko has left Arsenal to join Nottingham Forest on loan, but, as he heads into the final year of his contract, this may as well be a permanent departure.

Indeed, Zinchenko has likely played his final game for Arsenal, and Declan Rice may not be too pleased to see the defender leaving.

Rice and Zinchenko are close friends, as Rice revealed shortly after joining the club.

“To be fair, I’ve formed a lot of really good relationships here. There’s a lot of different cultures and I’m really close with Gabriel Magalhaes – we get on so, so well. Alex Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Aaron Ramsdale too,” Rice said.

“I get on with everyone, I talk to everyone and it’s great to have a good relationship with so many different people in the team. I look around and I think these are the people that I want to win stuff with and have a long career with.

“They’ve taught me so much. Take me and Gabriel for example. We’re both completely different personalities from completely different backgrounds and we play football in a different way too, but we learn so much from each other and we’ve formed a really good friendship.”

Rice has lost one of his closest friends in the squad, and while Zinchenko wasn’t a key player, that will still sting for Rice as the dressing room dynamics have now changed.

Declan Rice’s record alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko

Rice and Zinchenko weren’t just good friends at Arsenal, they were brilliant teammates too.

Indeed, while Rice and Zinchenko never won any trophies together at Arsenal, their winning record is something to be admired.

Rice and Zinchenko were, more often than not, a winning duo for Arsenal, but now that has been split up as Zinchenko heads to the City Ground.

Of course, this is just a normal cycle for any squad and players do come and go, but it will be a bit painful for Rice to lose one of his close friends in the team on deadline day.