Arsenal are preparing for a huge month in the transfer market in terms of both incomings and outgoings at the club.
Andrea Berta passed his first Arsenal test by swiftly moving to replace Thomas Partey with the Gunners set to sign Christian Norgaard from Premier League rivals Brentford.
New contracts have been secured for Gabriel Magalhaes and Myles Lewis-Skelly and Berta is now targeting William Saliba and Bukayo Saka to commit their futures.
Player sales are also a big part of Berta’s job this summer and Arsenal will need to be ‘creative’ with Oleksandr Zinchenko. The player’s wages means that any potential sale could be tricky but the Gunners have a way to use the Ukrainian’s talents to their advantage.
Three potential swap deals for Arsenal involving Oleksandr Zinchenko
Zinchenko is willing to lower wage demands in order to secure a move away from North London this summer, AC Milan and Fulham are among those interested.
Arsenal could lose Zinchenko on a free transfer should the 28-year-old decide to stay for another season and see out his current deal that expires in 2026.
However, Zinchenko wants to be playing football and has been a model professional since arriving at the Gunners. A potential swap deal could provide one solution involving the Ukraine international and Arsenal Insider has looked at three possible routes Berta could take.
Oleksandr Zinchenko helps to drop the £150m price tag of Rafael Leao
With AC Milan’s interest in Zinchenko, the most obvious deal would involve the defender moving to Italy as part of Arsenal signing Rafael Leao.
Arsenal are interested in Leao and it is thought that Milan are willing to cash in on their prized asset this summer.
It is unlikely the Gunners would pay the £150m asking price from the Italian giants but Zinchenko could be used as part of the deal in order to get that valuation to drop.
Leao wore a Thierry Henry shirt recently in an indication that he would be open to moving to the Emirates Stadium – Zinchenko could sweeten the deal.
Mikel Arteta can add defensive stability with Zinchenko swap for Antonee Robinson
Fulham are one of the teams interested in acquiring Zinchenko this summer and Mikel Arteta could use this as an opportunity to grab one of the Premier League’s most dynamic full backs.
Antonee Robinson was exceptional for Marco Silva’s men last season and grabbed ten assists in the league, more than former Gunners Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi combined.
Should Jakub Kiwior depart this summer, Arsenal would once again be requiring defensive cover and with Riccardo Calafiori able to play at left centre back, Robinson could compete with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left back.
Oleksandr Zinchenko to help beat Tottenham to Mohammed Kudus signing
West Ham want a transfer battle for Mohammed Kudus with Arsenal and Spurs both interested in the winger.
Spurs have reportedly offered a cash plus player deal to the Hammers but their offer was quickly rebuffed, however, a player of Zinchenko’s quality may be too good to turn down.
Kudus is pacey and possesses bags of tricks capable of unlocking even the most stubborn of defences – he was excellent during his side’s 1-0 win over the Gunners at the Emirates last season.
A suitable offer plus Zinchenko and Arsenal could have a solution in their search for attacking firepower next campaign.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
