Arsenal are looking to move some players on before the transfer window shuts on Monday night.
The Gunners have been extremely active regarding incomings this summer, signing seven players and spending £250 million in the process.
Piero Hincapie is expected to become Arsenal’s eighth addition, as Andrea Berta has reportedly agreed a loan deal with an obligation to buy for the Ecuadorian with Bayer Leverkusen.
This flurry of signings means the North Londoners will have to facilitate some departures in the next few days, with the likes of Fabio Vieira, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Sami Lokonga expected to leave N5.
Marseille working on a deal to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko
Zinchenko has fallen out of favour at Arsenal.
The Ukrainian is firmly behind the likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the pecking order at the Emirates, and Hincapie’s imminent arrival makes him more redundant in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Zinchenko has been linked with Porto, Fulham and Fenerbahce in recent weeks, but it now appears a different suitor has emerged at the front of the queue.
According to David Ornstein of the Athletic, Marseille are working on a deal for Zinchenko.
The journalist reports that the French club are exploring the conditions for a permanent move, but the 28-year-old’s wages are presenting a stumbling block.
Zinchenko is currently earning a purported £200,000 a week at Arsenal (via Capology), and if he were to retain this salary, he’d be comfortably the highest paid player at Marseille.
Thus, a solution to this issue needs to be found before a deal advances, with talks understood to be ongoing.
Dani Ceballos has been heavily linked with Marseille
Zinchenko is not the only player with Arsenal ties who may be on Marseille’s books by the end of the window.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has already returned to the Ligue 1 outfit, while Dani Ceballos is also a target for them.
Ceballos spent two years on loan at Arsenal between 2019 and 2021, and is now pushing for a Real Madrid exit to Marseille, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Given Marseille’s relatively modest wage structure in comparison to Real Madrid and Arsenal, it’s very possible that only one of Zinchenko or Ceballos can complete a switch to the South of France.
Roberto De Zerbi may also have plans to use the Ukraine international in midfield, which may mean he no longer views the signing of the Spaniard necessary.
Thus, Ceballos certainly won’t be happy to see Zinchenko linked with a move to the Stade Velodrome.
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