Report: 25-year-old has rejected multiple clubs, but now wants to sign for Arsenal to link up with Arteta

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Oleksandr Zinchenko has previously had opportunities to leave Manchester City but now wants to go and join Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.

The Daily Mail report that the Ukrainian is on the verge of swapping the reigning champions for north London.

And that the versatile left-footer has turned down other chances to leave the club but it is only now he is making the move.

He was linked with Newcastle last year, as well as Wolves, as far back as August 2018 (Sky Sports) but stayed put.

Zinchenko keen to re-join Arteta at Arsenal

Arteta has already convinced one player to make the move from City to Arsenal this summer – Gabriel Jesus.

And it seems he has been key in getting Zinchenko to the point of doing the same thing, even without Champions League football on offer in north London.

For both those players, there is also the prospect of becoming more important players at Arsenal, when they were squad players at City.

The 25-year-old has largely played at left-back for City, but plays in midfield for Ukraine and that is where he wants to operate.

That means that he should get a lot of games there for Arsenal; as perhaps an upgrade in terms of a left-footed central midfielder on Granit Xhaka.

But with Kieran Tierney’s injury issues, he can also fill in at left-back if needed, and also maybe allow Nuno Tavares to leave on loan.