Sporting director Andrea Berta is busy at work at Arsenal, mostly preparing for the 2026 summer transfer window.
Though the January transfer window is open, it’s the summer that is on Berta’s mind, as no incomings are expected this month.
Berta’s focus might be on preparing for the 2026/27 season, but he’s had a busy 24 hours regarding transfers in the winter market.
Ethan Nwaneri is set to sign for Marseille on loan, and another exit on the horizon concerns Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Sum up Oleksandr Zinchenko’s Arsenal career in FIVE words….
Oleksandr Zinchenko now set to leave Arsenal in a permanent transfer
Zinchenko had a miserable loan spell at Nottingham Forest, opening the door for him to embark on a new loan away from Arsenal.
The news broke that Zinchenko is set to join Ajax on loan, which will take him to the end of his Arsenal contract; however, the deal just changed.
Journalist Ben Jacobs shared the news on X, stating that the conditions of the Ukrainian’s exit have been altered, meaning that Arsenal will instead cash in on the defender leaving permanently.
Jacobs wrote that the plan is for Ajax to sign the 29-year-old on a permanent deal for a ‘small fee’, which is a huge win for the Gunners.
It’s a fine piece of business from Berta and the Eredivisie giants, as both win, with Ajax taking on a Premier League-level defender, and Arsenal offloading a squad player whose wages are a hindrance.
Zinchenko was one of Arsenal’s highest earners, collecting a weekly wage of £150k, a huge expenditure for a rarely-used squad member.
Zinchenko hasn’t been happy at Arsenal for a long time
The deal is surprising, as it was thought that Zinchenko would run his contract down at Arsenal to leave as a free agent.
Now that Oleksandr Zinchenko is leaving, how would you grade his Arsenal career?
It would’ve been a huge disappointment, as it’s been very clear for a long while that the ex-Man City star has no future in Mikel Arteta’s project.
Zinchenko took aim at Arteta in an interview back in August 2025, saying that the Arsenal manager had made him feel like ‘nothing’ due to his lack of game time.
The last thing Arteta wants in the squad is a player who doesn’t want to be there, and who has been public with his frustration, making his permanent exit a win for all involved.
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