Oleksandr Zinchenko’s proposed move to Ajax has been delayed as the Dutch club attempt to change the deal from a loan into a permanent transfer.
Ajax now want to sign the Arsenal left-back on a permanent deal, and his medical was held up yesterday as they tried to upgrade their loan proposal.
The Dutch club have verbally agreed terms with Arsenal on an initial loan until June, when Zinchenko would become a free agent, with Ajax set to cover the player’s salary in an arrangement also reported by De Telegraaf.
Earlier this week it was reported Zinchenko was set to join Ajax on loan for the rest of the season, with the Dutch club agreeing a deal for him to leave Nottingham Forest early. Zinchenko joined Forest at the start of the campaign on loan from Arsenal but made only 10 competitive appearances.
He featured mostly from the bench in recent weeks and was told by Sean Dyche that he had no future at the club.
“We have spoken to the player, made it clear in his situation,” Dyche said before Forest’s game against Arsenal. “He is aware of that so we will see what happens.
“We will see what happens, we are being open with him. He is a thorough professional, and I am sure he will be going forward.”
Ajax have already brought in Takehiro Tomiyasu and are now preparing to add Zinchenko, with the pair set to reunite in Amsterdam after previously playing together at Arsenal.
Zinchenko was expected to fly to the Netherlands on Monday or Tuesday for his medical, but that timetable has been impacted by Ajax’s efforts to change the structure of the deal.