Arsenal enter talks with Man City over deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko

Arsenal have opened talks with Manchester City over a deal for defender Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Ukraine international has had enquiries from Everton, West Ham and Chelsea this summer and City are willing to sell the 25-year-old for around £35m.

They have already targeted Brighton’s Marc Cucurella and want to secure a new centre back before finalising Nathan Ake’s £45m sale to Chelsea. 

Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Pau Torres of Villarreal are among the names discussed by City.

Zinchenko, a defender, has made 127 appearances for City since joining the club in 2016

Arsenal, having missed out on Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez, have also considered Sergio Gomez of Anderlecht is also on Arsenal’s list of targets while Nuno Tavares could leave for Marseille.

But Arsenal believe they can go out and get Zinchenko and, as Sportsmail reported in May, City are open to selling the Ukraine international for the right price.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta worked with Zinchenko during his time as Pep Guardiola’s No 2 at City and that could be key in any negotiation. 

He would be the second City player to head to the Emirates stadium this summer after Arsenal signed Gabriel Jesus earlier in the summer transfer window.

The 25-year-old has spoken powerfully about Russia’s invasion of his home country, Ukraine

Zinchenko has been at City since 2016, when they brought him in from Russian side Ufa. He spent time on loan at Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven before forcing his way into the first team setup at City. 

He has made 127 appearances in all competitions for the current Premier League holders. He has four Premier League titles to his name.

In recent months Zinchenko has spoken powerfully about Russia’s invasion of his home country Ukraine. In an interview with Gary Lineker on BBC Sport in March, he said we would have fought on the front line if he didn’t have a daughter.

‘Even when I drive the car from the training ground, I can just cry from nothing,’ the 25-year-old said. ‘It’s everything in my head. Imagine the place where you were born, where you were growing up and there is just empty ground.

Zinchenko told the BBC’s Gary Lineker he was willing to take up arms and join Ukrainian forces

‘I can show you one million pictures and videos of every city in my country which they destroyed.

‘A security operation? Impossible. This is a real war. What they are doing is not acceptable. We need to stop this.

‘People there are sending me facts… they are starving. People are just surviving, sleeping underground and in bunkers.’

‘I’ll be honest, if not for my daughter, my family, I would be there. I’m just born like that. I know the people from my country, the mentality of them and all of them think exactly the same.

‘I’m so proud to be Ukrainian, and I will be forever for the rest of my life. And when you’re watching the people, how they fight for their lives… there are no words.’