Arsenal may have missed out on signing Lisandro Martinez, but they have quickly turned their attention to Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko.
According to reports, Ajax defender Martinez has turned down the opportunity to join Arsenal and now Manchester United are in advanced talks with the Argentine. But rather than simply accept defeat, the Gunners are now closing in on Zinchenko instead.
That's according to The Athletic, who claim that Arsenal are working on a deal to sign the Ukraine international, with both clubs in contact over a potential transfer this summer. City have already sold Gabriel Jesus to the Gunners this window, and are open to offloading Zinchenko if their valuation is met.
Jesus has already reunited with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, after the pair worked together at City, and now Zinchenko could join them in north London. Zinchenko has been on the fringes at City, with the star covering in both defensive and midfield roles.
But Arteta is said to be looking for a versatile option, with a back-up needed for Kieran Tierney along with added weight in midfield. City are still linked with a move for Brighton full-back Marc Cucurella, and the sale of Zinchenko could sanction that deal.
Arsenal are yet to meet City's valuation, although talks are ongoing between both clubs. But this isn't a new sign of interest from the Gunners as they were linked with Zinchenko earlier in the window.
Elsewhere, now former Arsenal target Martinez is in advanced talks with United over a £46million move, and Erik ten Hag reportedly wants the deal done quickly so he can join the squad in Australia on Tuesday. Both Arsenal and United bid for Martinez, but the Argentine has decided to link up with his former boss.
But that leaves Arsenal with a new opportunity, as Zinchenko could become their fifth signing of the summer, with Jesus, Marquinhos, Matt Turner and Fabio Vieira already joining the Gunners. The defence is the only area that Arsenal are yet to recruit, although William Saliba will back in contention after returning from his loan spell at Marseille.
It's not yet understood how much City are asking for Zinchenko, but they are set to make a considerable profit on the £1.8m they spent back in 2016. Zinchenko arrived from Russia side FC Ufa, and has two years left on his contract.
Arsenal aren't expected to have to break the bank for Zinchenko, but City will already be aware that they've strengthened the Gunners considerably already. It continues to be a great window for City, who have already made a net profit.
City may have signed Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips, but they're in profit due to selling the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jesus, and certain fringe stars have added healthy funds too. Zinchenko could be the latest to raise money, with City slowly trimming their squad with the anticipation of making new signings in the future.
Martinez may be a bit more of a risk, but it's one that United are willing to take. However, he has played under Ten Hag, as has Zinchenko under Arteta, so both are logical moves for either side.
