The Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal transfer rumours are heating up amid talk that the versatile midfielder is expected to be reunited with Mikel Arteta and Gabriel Jesus.
Prior to the Gunners completing a £45m deal for the Brazilian striker, they were being heavily linked with a move for the Ukraine international. However, their interest appeared to have cooled off when attention turned to Ajax and Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez.
But in a major twist this week, Arsenal have accepted defeat to Manchester United with regards to Martinez and therefore are planning to raid Manchester City once again before the summer transfer window closes by targeting Zinchenko, who would be a welcome addition to Arteta's first-team squad.
READ MORE: Arsenal 'guaranteed' to complete three more summer transfers if they sign Oleksandr Zinchenko
Capable of operating at left-back as well as in central midfield, the 25-year-old will help to fix two major problems if he was to seal a move to the Emirates Stadium - most notably providing adequate cover for Kieran Tierney who has struggled with injuries during his three years at the club.
As per the Manchester Evening News, the latest developments on this potential transfer are positive for Arsenal as there is a growing expectation that Zinchenko will become their fifth signing of the summer after Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Gabriel Jesus.
In addition, the report states that whilst there is still work to be done on the Gunners' behalf in terms of agreeing a fee with Man City and sorting personal terms with the player, enough progress has been made over the last week for the transfer to be seen as a live possibility now by all parties involved.
And in a further boost for the north London outfit, there is a very good chance they can wrap this deal up fairly quickly and have Zinchenko join up with the squad to possibly feature in pre-season friendlies against Orlando City and Premier League rivals Chelsea next week.
This is because Man City are due to fly out to the United States - where the Gunners already are - for their pre-season tour on Saturday, as confirmed by the club's official website, and it's expected that Zinchenko will be on the flight regardless of speculation surrounding his future.
Of course, the fact that all necessary parties needed to facilitate a deal are due to be in the same country as early as this weekend, it should make a transfer easier to complete as Zinchenko would just have to make a trip from Man City's base to wherever the Gunners are situated once an agreement over a fee is reached.
Arsenal have already kickstarted their 10-day US tour which includes a friendly in Baltimore, Maryland against Everton in the early hours on Sunday morning (UK time) before moving on to Orlando, Florida, where they will be facing Orlando City and London rivals Chelsea.
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