Arsenal are believed to be closing in on a deal to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, and the TalkSPORT pundits were discussing his potential signing.
The Ukraine international is believed to be earmarked as a back-up to Kieran Tierney at left-back, but has been tipped for a central midfield role also, having operated in both positions previously.
Adrian Durham and Darren Ambrose discussed the type of impact that they believed he could have if he was to complete his move from the Etihad, with the latter claiming that Zinchenko would be an upgrade whether helping out at left-back or in midfield.
🤷🏽♂️ 𝗔𝗗: “I just don’t see how Zinchenko helps Arsenal get to where they want to be!”
👀 𝗗𝗔: “I disagree…”
🔥 “I think it could be one of the signings of the summer!”
Darren Ambrose with a 𝗕𝗜𝗚 claim on Arsenal’s potential signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ZN0WzNDYBU
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) July 16, 2022
It seems as if he will be signed to take up a role in midfield, whilst the option to drop him in at left-back will be a back-up option. I’ve always liked what he has brought for City despite playing a limited role, and always thought he had more to give than he was allowed to under Pep. I’ll be more than happy for him to get that chance in north London.
Patrick
Its reassuring that daft Durham, that arch self publicist, “supposedly” thinks it a poor signing.
Just like Piers Morgan, it is unwise to even think he believes what he says himself.
It is said for effect and to raise his own publicity.
In any case what does it matter what anyone, save ONLY our manager thinks, IF we buy him, as now looks very likely!!?
He is technically gifted, I like the type of players we are buying. Soon Arsenal will reach the stage where most of their players can turn on the ball in any direction with fluidity and ease making them near impossible to press. Zinchenko, Vieira, Saka & Ødegaard can do exactly that. Their press resistance will drain the opposition mentally.
Yep, this. So far, most of our players can’t resist or make opportunities out of a hard press, and I always felt Arsenal were pressed even harder by every team knowing this weakness well. But with these new signings, teams will start respecting the players and hold their press a bit as it can open them up badly.
If you have played FIFA or PES with a keyboard, that’s how we have played before. No dribbling past players or any nifty skills just passing and passing. Now with these new signings, it will be fun to see Arsenal playing football with proper controllers. Bad analogy but couldn’t help it lol.
adrian durham.HAHAHAHAHA
I will be so grateful to see zencheko as a Gunner
It is true he is not the player to take us to the next level. But with him and Saliba we have six solid defenders. Last season we suffered for having only four solid ones, meaning at times we had to play 2-3 mediocre defenders. With our two new defenders unless we have a real injury problem, we could field 3-4 solid defenders each game, and that is a huge improvement by itself.
This is more on point than the kind of stuff that is often spouted on TS. His addition to the squad will allow rotation (or replacement) without significant drop off in quality which is one of the issues Arteta had to cope with last season.
I see him starting over tierney, tierney has been genarally inconsistent, people have short memory, they forget how much we struggle when tierney is out, MA has been forced to try different players in that role, Coz our back is not just good eneough, this is a fantastic signing
Zinchenko will not play left back when Tierney is fit. He has been bought to replace xhaka and do what xhaka was asked to do, miserably, when Tierney was out. Unless we plan to sell Tierney.
I agree that Durham is a complete and utter BS*itter and he is the reason I very rarely tune in to the site.
So why am I not surprised that he thinks the way he does?
Simple really – he hates our club with a passion and uses The Arsenal to get interaction for his BS.
Even Wrighty couldn’t stand him and that says everything for me.
Now, on to the player himself.
If we can sign Zinchenko for £30,000,000 it will be proof to me that Edu /Artera/Kronkie are really serious about taking the club forward to where we used to be…. a top four club.
I believe Jesus to be a brilliant signing and, if we get this transfer over the line as well, this will be the best transfer window since Sol Campbell arrived for nothing!!!
We just have to hope that both players play to their full potential…. over to you Mikel.
The point is ken, do you think we have closed the gap on the teams above? None of us will know for sure until the season starts but i am really worried that all the teams above have made better signings. We have made or could make good signings but im impressed how the teams above have really improved their weaknesses and some.
Who should we rather sign Reggie? Who? Ronaldo, messi? Should we have paid 55m pound for an unproven Martinez or pay megabucks to Sterling, still believe this is not our last signing, still hoping for a mieldfielder, i quite agree if we dont get top four this time around, Arteta should get the boot
Enny, i am concerned spuds have made brilliant signings, Chelsea with koulbaly and others on their radar are stronger, Liverpool are strengthening and City are signing exactly the players they need. It will be interesting what improvements our signings have made but from my perspective, im not sure we have strengthened our weak points but time will tell.
The window is still up, i think we would get a mieldfielder and a winger, would have preferred a striker though, hopefully we can bridge the gap and actually make top four this time around, anything short would be a failure.
Reggie, I think we have bought well this window, buying established players who were wanted by other top clubs – unlike the last window, where players were signed “for the future”.
Interestingly though, I really believe that it’s Saliba who will be the key to our season… along with Jesus and (I hope) Zinchenko.
I have to say that the spuds are really getting a very strong squad together and it’s Conte’s class as a manager that has identified what they needed after, what is it, 20 odd managers?
I’ve been watching our training sessions over in the USA and there is a feeling (at least for me) of a really united group of players – seeing Torreria enjoying himself with his teammates, while putting in a real effort – it’s just starting to feel right.
I stand by my previous comments regarding MA and this season has to see us back in the top four, it’s all down to him now, no more excuses….. and these signings, along with the excellent players he inherited, gives me confidence.
Time will tell and I know that some of us will be watching closely and comparison with Conte will be inevitable.
Ken, there is no more excuses (although some may find some) we are not in any project anymore, this is it. No excuses for injuries, no excuses of covid, no excuses of inexperienced players, no excuses of not supporting the manager, no excuses of referees, this is GO time. Arteta has to be held to account as being THE manager that has had more money than any other Arsenal manager ever. I wont listen to excuses only results.
Yes, that’s what I meant in my last paragraph and I agree 100%
I find it rather disconcerting to be discussing the possibility of failure before we kick a ball in anger
Sue P, i am not sure we have done as good a job as our rivals, some think we have. Both opinions wont matter a jot when the season starts.
I think to ease your anxiety you have to think Liverpool, City, Chelsea and to an extend Spurs had more experienced, balanced, and settled starting 11 than us.
Metaphorically speaking we have had to tare the crumbling hazardous house down and rebuild it from scratch, something utd are just starting to do. The other teams in the top 6 merely have to add 1 or 2 players or replace 1 or 2 dysfunctional parts.
From this season on we will be in that position with the added bonuses that the lads are all a good age, not yet in their peak years and there are not many players we could class as deadwood in the squad now.
Unlike you I’m not worried about Tottenhams business. Plus every time Conte gets into a 2nd season he starts to lose his shit with everyone and piss them off lol. I think conte has made a massive error in what he needs their starting 11 was good but where’s the depth.
I think our squad depth is far better now we can play at a higher level of pace and intensity. With the 5 sub rule maintain that by bringing on strong replacements. Who can spurs bring on after they sell Lo Celso, Bergwijn and so on Sessingon and Bryan Gill
I think you make many good points. Arsenal have been rebuilding the team carefully and on the whole quite sensibly. We should have a stronger and more balanced team when the season starts. We also have good foundations to have a competitive team for the foreseeable future.
There is no doubt that other top teams who we consider our direct rivals have also strengthened. The impact of all the changes will be interesting to see.
Arsenal supporters should be looking forward to an exciting and what should be a good season.
It is also quite clear that some of the contributors to this site are more interested in looking for a potential scapegoat if things don’t quite work out rather than supporting the team and the manager.
The league, especially at the top end, is far more competitive than it has ever been. Therefore whilst it is therefore reasonable to expect a competitive team and more consistent performances I don’t believe that it is rational to insist on a certain placement as the sole determinant of a manager’s value to the team.
It is disappointing to see a parochial absolutist perspective repeated by a few contributors on an almost daily basis.
DAVID SUCH A RELIEF TO READ MATURE WISDOM FROM A PROPER THINKER.
The regular anti MA brigade, who right from his very start were determined never to give him a proper chance and who have dug the knife inhis back virtually daily, sometimes several times a day ever since, are intellectual no hopers and not worth replying to.
I have tried repeatedly, without any success at all – being the optimist about human nature that I naturally am – to TRY preaching patience, decency and fairness to these folk, but always in vain.
Reading your own wisdom has made me resolve to end my own optimistic foolishness when replying to fanatical pessimists and to relish the posts of wisdom such as yours all the more. I am deply grateful for your cathartic post!
James and David, i am sorry that my faith is not as high as your. I didn’t know it was a crime to think we are not doing as well as some others think we are, false dawns and all that. I do get a bit fed up of all the sniping from the people with an utter lack of respect for peoples opinions, while most of us are just getting on talking about our opinions. Still people who don’t respect that an opinion may be different to theirs are just, well, not nice people. I do like to debate opinions but that is often spoiled by the mindless few. Rant over!!!!! Funnily enough, i hope we finish top of the league with Arteta but also Funnily enough, i have my doubts (which even through all the sniping from realists) that we can even get top 4. Now until the season starts, please do answer me. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT?
Plus the title of the article was PUNDITS DISAGREE, not everyone agrees because not everyone does.
For me the moves arteta n edu are making is very brillant n strong. I m strongly believe that we will get back as the gooners n be a champion again. Gunner 4 life!!!
Spot on👍
The same way chelski signed Lukaku and Manure signed Ronaldo at the beginning of last season and they still struggle…forget about other teams and focus on our team,if our signings can improve our team with the team performance last season… we’re good to go 🚶
Thank you…… They just can’t reason like this
Trouble is Savage, we ARE talking about our team and how they might fare against other clubs…. you know, the clubs we have to beat in order to be successful.
We are also talking about our signings and our squad, versus their signings and squads.
It’s called a debate and involves opinions that differ, but also the debate has to have respect of others opinions, without putting words into others mouths.
Why would any Arsenal supporter or fan have “hatred” towards the manager?
I said before the transfer window open, we need six to seven new signings.
We are not only on course with the numbers of players coming in,
but a concerted effort has been made to balance the team.
We still need two more signing in my opinion, a midfielder and a striker but one could argue there is a need also for a winger,
I think Zinchenko will be our next signing, then we’ll move onto a wide forward and then Tielemans , Edu can and deserves go on holiday again then lol. Our squad will be balanced with backup in every position and with the 5 sub rule we can hopefully protect our more injury prone players then.
I think Arsenal are now in the position to get back to where they belong this season. I also agree with the guys and girls on here Arteta has to show us now he’s the right man to take us forward. He has the determination, the experience being at the helm for just over 2 full seasons. Now he’s been massively backed by the owners, they believe in him and I think the fanbase need to unify behind him too.
We’ve got some tough matches in our first 10 fixtures we need to set our stall out early in those. We can’t start the season like we’ve started the last 3.