Oleksandr Zinchenko has left Manchester City’s pre-season camp to join Arsenal and complete his move to the Premier League. The Ukraine international is set to become Arsenal’s fifth signing of the summer in a deal worth around £30 million.
The 25-year-old was already in America as part of City’s pre-season tour in Houston, Texas. Mikel Arteta’s team arrived in Orlando on Sunday for the second leg of their US tour, making the deal easier to close there than in London.
Edu, the technical director, will be in Orlando on Tuesday to join the Arsenal team. Though it is not yet known if Zinchenko will be ready for selection to make his debut in Saturday’s preseason friendly against Chelsea, it is believed that he will either finish his physical on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The move will see Zinchenko link up with the Spaniard once more, having been coached by him when Arteta was assistant manager at the Etihad. He will also rejoin Gabriel Jesus, whom he played with in his time in Manchester.
Despite their young age, both bring a wealth of experience from their time working for Pep Guardiola. The Citizens have a history of success in recent years, winning both domestic cups and the Premier League.
Zinchenko has also received numerous accolades from his current manager, demonstrating why he has been a part of title-winning teams. Back in 2019, Guardiola said of the defender: “The only word for it is incredible. Oleks has taught me the value and importance of being a good person. He was on the verge of leaving at the start of the season, but I never saw him make a bad face or have a bad training session. Some players want to demonstrate their dissatisfaction, but Zinchenko is the polar opposite. When this happens, you will always play well.”
