Arsenal have agreed a €1.5m deal to sell Oleksandr Zinchenko to Ajax, bringing an end to his spell at the club after a loan at Nottingham Forest that never settled.
The move follows Forest manager Sean Dyche making it clear Zinchenko had no future at the club, prompting the early termination of his loan.
Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Zinchenko is travelling to the Netherlands today (Friday) to complete the switch, which will see Arsenal receive around €1.5m for a player they paid €35m for in 2022. Add-ons are also included, reportedly dependent on Ajax qualifying for the Champions League.
Zinchenko arrived from Manchester City as a signing seen as both ambitious and tactically important, offering Mikel Arteta a proven winner capable of operating at left back and stepping into midfield, rather than simply filling out the squad.
In total, the Ukraine international made 91 appearances for Arsenal, scoring three goals and registering five assists, but his time in north London was repeatedly disrupted by injuries, with persistent calf problems limiting his availability every season.
The low fee reflects his contract situation, with Zinchenko due to be out of contract in the summer, leaving Arsenal with little leverage, merely the incentive of removing his wages from the books for the final months of the season.
Zinchenko spoke about last season being the worst of his career. After an even tougher spell this season with Forest, let’s hope he can get his career back on track in Amsterdam.