Oleksandr Zinchenko is expected to leave Arsenal before the end of this month, having fallen in the pecking order at the Emirates.
The left-back had been a regular under Mikel Arteta in his first two seasons in North London, but the Spaniard has favoured the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber over him this term.
Managing just 243 Premier League minutes this campaign, the Ukrainian will likely be itching for a move to somewhere where he’s guaranteed more minutes.
Borussia Dortmund are interested in Zinchenko, with a £17 million deal being mooted.
However, a recent report from Florian Plettenberg has indicated that the Arsenal man is viewed by the German club as an alternative to first-choice target Renato Veiga.
Regardless, Zinchenko’s exit from N5 still looks to be on the cards, and this departure would benefit three specific players in Arteta’s squad.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Lewis-Skelly has been Arsenal’s shining light amidst a disappointing run of form in recent weeks.
The Hale End Academy graduate has already cemented himself ahead of Zinchenko in the left-back hierarchy, but the former Manchester City man’s departure has essentially only been made possible due to the emergence of the teenager.
Able to invert into midfield and sit alongside the number six, Lewis-Skelly is a more physically robust and defensively aware version of Zinchenko, boasting similar passing attributes.
The Ukraine international leaving will ensure Lewis-Skelly is a permanent fixture in Arteta’s ensemble, and mean he has guaranteed playing time on the table when the tactician wants to deploy a midfielder at left-back.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Takehiro Tomiyasu returned to Arsenal training last week, having managed just a seven-minute cameo all season.
He returns firmly behind Timber and Ben White at right-back and is thus unlikely to feature on that side in any capacity.
However, Zinchenko swapping Islington for Dortmund could reignite Tomiyasu’s hopes of featuring more regularly at left-back.
With Calafiori perennially injured and Lewis-Skelly still raw, Arteta may opt for the Japanese international in certain games in which he wants a lock-down defender who can negate a tricky winger.
Tomiyasu finished last season as Arsenal’s first choice on the left-hand side of defence, and he’ll certainly be in the frame to play there again once fit.
Kieran Tierney
Celtic are pushing to sign Kieran Tierney on a free transfer in the summer, with the Scottish giants keen on wrapping up a pre-contract agreement for the player this month.
This means that Tierney will likely remain a part of Arteta’s squad for the remainder of this season.
While the Scotsman is not in line to usurp any of the other options at the manager’s disposal, Zinchenko’s exit means there’s one player fewer he has to fend off for the odd cameo off the bench.
Ultimately, these potential substitute appearances would help Tierney maintain some level of fitness before re-uniting with his boyhood club in the summer.
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