Departures are expected at Arsenal this summer, but Andrea Berta could make a big mistake by letting one player leave.
The 2024 summer transfer window saw several painful Arsenal exits, with Hale End graduates Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah bidding farewell.
While the focus of the 2025 window is on arrivals, that doesn’t rule out some members of the Arsenal squad heading in the opposite direction.
Jorginho and Kieran Tierney have departed, and Thomas Partey looks likely to leave, but they’re not the only ones.
Arsenal can still make use of Oleksandr Zinchenko
AC Milan are pushing to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko in a summer transfer.
The Ukrainian is one of several Arsenal players whose contract expires in 2026, making links to a possible exit wise to avoid the defender leaving as a free agent.
That being said, leaving now or leaving as a free agent next year is not necessarily an ultimatum, as there’s no reason why sporting director Berta couldn’t offer the 28-year-old a contract extension.
This seems rather confusing given the fact that Zinchenko isn’t the most thought of player in Arteta’s plans, but opening the door to his exit only weakens the squad.
Viewing the four-time Premier League winner solely as a left-back is puzzling, as it’s clear that Zinchenko is best utilised as a midfielder.
On his day, there are few players as proactive in transition as Zinchenko when he is given a licence to roam in the central channels.
With Fabio Vieira’s future unclear, there are only a handful of players in the squad who can offer such creativity, which should inspire Berta to keep Zinchenko around.
When all hope is lost and Arsenal don’t have a plan B, the 2022 signing’s daring streak can result in a killer pass or the motivation to move in on goal, something few players can offer.
For some, offering Zinchenko a new deal would seem bizarre, but when considering the edge of experience he has on Vieira, who’d take up a similar role, the idea becomes more palatable.
Zinchenko wanting to leave is understandable
It is, unfortunately, possible that both players leave this summer, which could be a mistake as Arteta’s squad was missing depth last season.
There are positives to keeping the Ukraine international around; however, it appears that the defender has already made up his mind.
Zinchenko is willing to take a pay cut to sign for AC Milan, who have already visited London to discuss a possible transfer with the Arsenal ace.
Zinchenko’s desire to leave is understandable as his game time is reducing, securing only five starts last campaign in the Premier League.
Like any transfer, there are pros and cons to consider, but in this case, things might already be out of Arsenal’s hands.
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