Arsenal agree last-minute Oleksandr Zincheko loan - David Ornstein

Tom Weber
Tom Weber
  • Updated: 1 Sept 2025 21:19 BST
  • 3 min read
Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal, 2025/26
© IMAGO

Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have successfully completed an 11th-hour deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko, according to David Ornstein.

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The Ukraine international is set to spend the remainder of the season at the City Ground, with the Gunners and Forest having agreed a straight loan after submitting a deal sheet ahead of the deadline.

Zinchenko initially looked poised to stay at Arsenal after discussions with Marseille yielded no results. The Ligue 1 giants opted to sign West Ham defender Emerson instead due to concerns over Zinchenko's wages.

With time running out until the close of the window, it appeared as though Zinchenko would have to endure another campaign on the fringes of Mikel Arteta's squad. However, Forest successfully intervened just before the deadline.

According to David Ornstein, a full agreement for a loan has been reached. There is no purchase option or obligation for Forest, who had spent the entire day looking for a left-back.

Forest sign Zinchenko instead of Galan

The Reds moved quickly for Zinchenko after a deal for veteran Atletico Madrid defender Javi Galan collapsed. Arsenal showed a willingness to engage for Zinchenko, having just sealed the signing of Piero Hincapie, who can play at left-back and centre-back

Ornstein reports that both clubs are 'confident' that all the necessary paperwork was submitted in time and that the Premier League will approve this last-minute transfer.

It would be a great move for Zinchenko given his struggles at Arsenal in recent years. The 28-year-old recently admitted that the previous season was his worst as a professional.

He was mostly injury-free but was rarely used by Arteta, leading him to arrive at the conclusion that the manager had lost faith in him. Unsurprisingly, then, he has been widely expected to depart Arsenal this summer.

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