Oleksandr Zinchenko remaining at the Emirates Stadium next season—would that sit well with you as a Gooner?
The arrivals of Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus in 2022 gave Mikel Arteta’s project a significant boost. The duo transformed Arsenal from a team battling to secure Champions League football to one competing for the Premier League title.
When analysing the inverted full-back role, many will always highlight how Zinchenko mastered it during Arsenal’s 2022–23 campaign. The Ukrainian international redefined Arsenal’s playstyle in that role, becoming a key ingredient in the team’s dominance.
However, as time went on, opposition teams found ways to exploit the spaces he left behind when he inverted into midfield. The Arsenal left-back became a weak link, and his defensive vulnerabilities were exposed.
As Zinchenko’s struggles grew, injuries compounded the problem, and he fell down the pecking order at left-back. Trust in him for this role began to wane.
Last summer, Arsenal invested £42 million to bring in Riccardo Calafiori as an upgrade. Zinchenko had hoped to compete with the Italian for the position, but then came the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Almost out of nowhere, Lewis-Skelly has burst onto the scene and staked a strong claim for the left-back role.
One could argue that with Lewis-Skelly and Calafiori, Arsenal’s left-back options are at their best in years. Zinchenko’s time at Arsenal seems to be nearing its end, with interest from German side Borussia Dortmund.
If Zinchenko were to be sold this summer, it wouldn’t come as a shock to many. But what if he stayed and reinvented himself?
For those who have followed Zinchenko’s journey at Arsenal, there’s always been a lingering suggestion that he should be tried out in midfield.
The 28-year-old started his career as a midfielder before being converted into a left-back. Could Arteta and his coaching staff opt to keep the former Manchester City man and utilise him in his original position?
After much resistance, Arteta finally deployed Zinchenko in midfield during Arsenal’s recent clash with PSV. The Ukrainian delivered a solid performance, leaving some wondering if this could be the beginning of a new role for him.
By now, you might be asking, why push the idea of Zinchenko in midfield?
Well, watching Ukraine’s 3-1 victory over Belgium provided a clear answer. Playing as a right central midfielder (RCM), Zinchenko shone brightly, delivering a fantastic assist and nearly scoring a stunning free-kick that struck the post. He demonstrated the impact he could have in a midfield role.
Zinchenko’s Numbers vs Belgium:
– 36/40 accurate passes
– 100% successful dribbles
– 3 chances created
– 1 big chance created
– 1 assist
– 2/3 accurate long balls
– 4 recoveries
– 2 duels won
– 1 clearance
Arguably, Zinchenko thrives when not tasked with defending—he is among the league’s finest line-breaking passers.
If I were Mikel Arteta, I’d hold onto Zinchenko. In midfield, he could be incredibly useful in specific situations, particularly when the team is chasing a goal.
Retaining Zinchenko wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially if Arsenal are set to lose both Thomas Partey and Jorginho this summer. Andrea Berta is reportedly targeting Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimarães as replacements, but the midfield would still lack depth in quality.
EXC. Andrea Berta intentará firmar a Bruno Guimarães en verano.
Le quiere como acompañamiento a Martín Zubimendi. Los ‘Gunners’ quieren formar el mejor mediocentro de la Premier.
Si el Newcastle no clasifica a Champions, podría salir por en torno a 70M€.https://t.co/J2hjyPK3fO
— Eduardo Burgos (@edu17burgos) March 12, 2025
Having Zinchenko as a midfield option would provide Arsenal with greater flexibility. Even if he’s not a regular starter or goes extended periods without playing, his presence could prove invaluable.
If Arteta fails to get creative with his midfield department following Partey and Jorginho’s departures, it could come back to haunt him.
Daniel O
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Zinchenko is a star midfield player for Ukraine. Anyone that is lucky to see him play for Ukraine knows that he is a natural midfield player. It’s is no brainer to have him play his natural role or sell him as he a defensive liability at left back.
It does seem odd that he has not been given more chances in midfield. Perhaps Arteta considers him a bit lightweight, all the midfielders he has signed lately are huge – Rice, Merino, Havertz
Zinny has typically done very well for Ukraine but for me the sporatic international demands are very different from being a regular starter in the PL for the Arsenal. He is reported on £150,000/wk and has only one year remaining on his contract.
If he’s at best only going to be a capable but rarely game changing late sub (which is the only thing he could possibly be good enough for imo) in his prime, do not extend his contract and sell to the highest bidder while we can still get something for him and get his wages off the books.
Technically,Zinchenko has played in midfield throughout his time at Arsenal. Arsenal usually play with four midfielders in possession-two sixes and two eights. The two sixes(Partey and Myles) form a double pivot . Their role is to progress play from the back,something Zinchenko is excellent at.
The two more advanced midfielders differ in role. They work hard and run a lot. Think of the players who have played there- Xhaka,Odegaard,Havertz and Rice. Zinchenko simply doesn’t have the legs for that. Recently when he briefly played there, he commented on the outrageous amount of running they do. This effort required of the eights could also explain why ESR and Vieira never got much of a chance there. It could also explain why Merino, who was signed to play there,has not gotten much of a chance-he has not demonstrated he has the stamina to play in this role.
Arsenal will have a hard time selling Zinchenko. He makes a lot of money, which will impact any fee the team can get for him. As a left back, his attacking is good, but his defending is mediocre. It is far more likely he will either play out his deal on the Gunner’s bench or he’ll go on loan for the last year of his contract to free up at least part of his wages.
To be fair to Zinchenko, Calafiori has been not better as a defender. They are similar players that way. Good going forward, unconvincing as defenders. Lewis-Skelly seems a better defender then either, though he too is supposedly a natural midfielder. Compairing Arsenal’s recent fullback empirically, Nuno Tavarez has been better with his loan clubs than any of the players Arsenal had in the role since Tierney proved himself too fragile.