Arsenal braced for Oleksandr Zinchenko transfer bid as Mikel Arteta identifies replacement

Oleksandr Zinchenko's future at Arsenal is hanging in the balance as the Gunners prepare for a potential bid for the Ukrainian this month.

Zinchenko, who was a standout signing in 2022 and played a pivotal role in transforming Mikel Arteta's side into title contenders, has seen his position in the team decline due to the return of Jurrien Timber and the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori.

With only 11 appearances this season, three of which were starts, and never completing a full 90 minutes, it's clear that Timber and Calafiori are ahead of him in Arteta's plans. As the left-back enters the final 18 months of his contract, this transfer window could be the ideal time to secure a good fee for him.

Given these circumstances, it seems Zinchenko could be on his way out. According to The Sun, Inter Milan are gearing up to make a bid for the Ukrainian this month.

The Serie A team believe he can significantly enhance their domestic campaign, with Simone Inzaghi's side currently four points behind leaders Napoli with two games in hand. It's reported that Arteta is open to letting Zinchenko leave this month, despite Arsenal initiating talks with Celtic over a deal that would see Kieran Tierney return to Scotland.

Arteta seems to have already identified a potential replacement for Zinchenko, with Arsenal reportedly keeping tabs on AC Milan's Theo Hernandez. Despite struggling under the recently dismissed Paulo Fonseca, the French international played a key role in the Supercoppa Italiana victory over Inter, reports the Mirror.

As his contract enters its final 18 months with no progress on renewal talks, Arteta is said to be a big admirer of the Milan star, and the Italian club may be open to a summer sale. However, the Arsenal manager has downplayed any major signings this month, insisting his main focus is on the current squad at the Emirates Stadium.

"The focus is our players. Whatever is in the market, we're very alert, but the priority is working with the players that we have at the moment and tomorrow night, which is a big night for us. It's not a yes, it's not a no," he stated ahead of the Newcastle defeat. "We set very high standards and we really want to only have players here that are coming from our academy or we have to sign players to really elevate and impact the team, otherwise just bringing in bodies doesn't help us.

"It's a good learning process, not only tactically but also preparation and training with very few players. Today we had seven or eight players with us just to fill the squad which isn't normal but it's a weird way to learn, but I'll take it."