Gabriel Jesus and Lisandro Martinez have had their time in the Arsenal spotlight this summer, but now much of the attention is turning towards Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Various reports claim that the Manchester City man is closing in on a move to north London as Mikel Arteta swiftly turns to other targets following an unsuccessful attempt to sign the aforementioned Martinez from Ajax.
It's believed that Arsenal had been in serious talks to sign the Argentinian, with Arteta an admirer of his technical ability and versatility that can see him play at left-back, centre-back and defensive midfield. However, his former manager Erik ten Hag pushed hard for his signature and Manchester United eventually met the increasing financial demands that were set.
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Initially viewed by many as a slight setback to Arsenal's summer plans, the club haven't wasted any time in securing an alternative and everything points towards Zinchenko being that man. The Ukrainian international has enjoyed a successful six-year period at the current Premier League champions, playing a key role under Pep Guardiola.
Reliable, versatile and technically very good, you could argue that Zinchenko represents an option that is equally as strong if not better than Martinez, with the experience and proven quality in England certainly an added bonus.
If there is one slight negative when comparing the two, it's perhaps his inability to play as a centre-half. Saying that, he does make up for it in central midfield, an area which has been the subject of much speculation this summer.
Youri Tielemans is someone else on Arsenal's shopping list, with talks between the club and his representatives taking place over the last few months, football.london understands. The Belgian's current contract situation at Leicester could see him become available for as little as £25m.
Meanwhile, reports in France and Brazil suggest Lucas Paqueta is another target. It's added that technical director Edu has supposedly confirmed the club's intention to submit an official offer, but the price could be a sticking point after Lyon demanded at least £50m for his services.
Despite all of the talk surrounding midfielders, we could see Zinchenko finally put an end to the links. At the moment, it's not known exactly what primary role or position he would take up at Arsenal, but if Kieran Tierney is fit and ready heading into the 2022/23 campaign, a regular spot in midfield cannot be ruled out.
More often than not, Zinchenko operates as a central and attacking midfielder at international level, there have also been suggestions that he prefers to play further up the pitch.
Of course, it's still very early days and his arrival may not have an impact on other transfer business, but it will no doubt give Arteta and Edu something to think about for the remainder of the window. What happens on the departure front will be key, with the futures of Nuno Tavares, Lucas Torreira and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, in particular, potentially playing a part in what route the club goes down.
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