Arsenal had a busy transfer deadline day, signing Piero Hincapie and facilitating the departures of five senior players.
Hincapie joined from Bayer Leverkusen on an initial loan deal, with the player expected to sign permanently next summer after the Gunners negotiated a buy option with the German club.
The Ecuadorian became the eighth and final player to join Mikel Arteta’s ranks this summer, in what was an unprecedented window which saw the North Londoners spend in excess of £250 million.
Meanwhile, the likes of Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Reiss Nelson all left at the eleventh hour before the transfer deadline.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s move to Nottingham Forest ‘surprised people’ at Arsenal
Zinchenko completed a late loan switch to Nottingham Forest, in a deal that came out of nowhere.
The Ukrainian was clearly made surplus to requirements at Arsenal, having fallen behind the likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the pecking order.
With Hincapie coming in, his minutes were only going to become less frequent, although with just a matter of hours left in the window, it appeared he’d be staying in N5 for another six months at least.
However, former Gunners sporting director Edu Gasper came in at the last minute and offered Zinchenko a way out of North London for the season, with the deal ratified by Andrea Berta.
Forest signed the player on a season-long loan, with a small loan fee included.
According to Miguel Delaney via the Inside Football Newsletter, Zinchenko’s late move to the East Midlands came as a surprise to many at Arsenal.
“Oleksandr Zinchenko’s move to Nottingham Forest did slightly surprise people at Arsenal, but it is seen as one of those that makes sense for everyone,” Delaney wrote.
“The Arsenal connections at the City Ground helped. Zinchenko was a little unlucky under Mikel Arteta. Having previously been a significant player in the start of a new era, whose versatility typified a tactical variety that first transformed the team, only for the manager to gradually lean towards more physicality.”
Oleksandr Zinchenko was underrated at Arsenal, but he’s not a good fit for Nottingham Forest
At his best at Arsenal, Zinchenko was an excellent player.
Exceptional at inverting into midfield, the Ukraine international was as good as anyone at firing passes in between the lines, and progressing the ball into dangerous areas.
As Delaney alluded to, Arteta moved towards favouring more physically robust players in recent years, which made Zinchenko somewhat redundant.
| Oleksandr Zinchenko’s Premier League Statistics 2023/24 | |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Pass Accuracy | 87.6% |
| Progressive Passes per 90 | 12 |
| Passes into the Final Third per 90 | 8.06 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 1.52 |
Despite all his qualities, the former Manchester City man isn’t a good fit for Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest.
Like Arteta, the Portuguese head coach likes his full-backs to be physically imposing, but also likes them to be able to break forward from defence and provide an overlapping option.
Zinchenko’s skills lie in possession, and Forest aren’t a team renowned for keeping the ball for long periods, making it a somewhat bizarre signing from the East Midlanders.
from Arsenal Transfer News | Rumours, Deals & Targets | Arsenal Insider
Alfie Cairns Culshaw