Mikel Arteta Breaks Silence On Oleksandr Zinchenko Transfer

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken openly for the first time on the imminent summer signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.

The Gunners are on the brink of completing a four-year-deal which will take Zinchenko to North London for £30 million after Man City boss Pep Guardiola also confirmed the move, earlier this week.

Zinchenko was allowed to travel to Orlando to meet up with the Arsenal camp, currently on tour in the United States, and was in attendance at the Exploria Stadium as the Premier League club defeated Orlando City 3-1.

Following Arsenal’s third successive pre-season victory, Arteta confirmed the status of the pending transfer and what to expect of the 25-year-old.

“There are still a few formalities to go, but we are happy to have him,” Arteta said of his former player, having coached the versatile star during his time as assistant coach at City.

“I know the player really well, he’s an exceptional player and he is someone who is going to bring a competitive edge to that dressing room.”

The fresh-faced manager was also quizzed on his plans for Zinchenko, with Arteta remaining coy with regards to where he’s expecting to play the Shakhtar Donetsk academy graduate.

"He can play in both [left-back and midfield]," Arteta said.

"He was a number ten early in his career and we converted him into a left-back.

"That versatility is something that is going to be important to the team because we have players in that position who are more specifically full-backs, so I’m really happy."

Arteta made no further comment on arrivals rumoured to be following Zinchenko through the doors at the Emirates Stadium, shifting the club’s focus instead on selling players first.

"We have a very large squad, so we have to make some decisions on the players we are not going to be using consistently and be fair and straight with them," the manager stated.

"That is a process that is going to start very soon. We have to.

"We have a very big squad and now we have to make things happen."

The quotes come at a time where Arsenal continue to scrap with Fulham over the valuation of back-up keeper Bernd Leno and Nuno Tavares reportedly attracts the interest of Brighton & Hove Albion.

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, via the Wondergoal Podcast, the Gunners still remain keen on further additions late in the market, leaving the North Londoners dependent on sales.