3 players most affected by impending Oleksandr Zinchenko arrival

This window is undoubtedly a breath of fresh air for Arsenal fans.

Supporters of the north London club have long seen executives drag their feet in negotiating deals and getting players through the door. On the contrary, business has been done with remarkable speed and efficiency this summer – not just by Arsenal’s standard but by any standard.

The move for Fabio Vieira was wrapped up in about a week. The Gabriel Jesus transfer did take longer but he joined the squad early in pre-season as opposed to a few days before the start of the new campaign. Oleksandr Zinchenko appears to be the next man on the target list, with Edu looking to conclude the deal as soon as possible.

3 players most affected by Oleksandr Zinchenko’s impending arrival

Zinchenko will immediately raise the technical floor of the entire team while bringing a much-needed winning mentality. There are, however, three players that will particularly be affected by his arrival.

3. Granit Xhaka

The position that Zinchenko will play remains to be seen, but it’s expected that he’ll spend plenty of time in the middle of the park – one way or another. He lines up as a #8 for Ukraine, while Pep Guardiola often utilised him as an inverted left-back at City, which meant he typically occupied deeper central zones.

The inside left eight position is one currently held by Granit Xhaka. Both offer valuable qualities to the team. Xhaka provides stability, defensive cover, and secure, if unimaginative, passing. Zinchenko, meanwhile, is not quite as comfortable when forced to race back towards his own goal, but he possesses incredible technical quality.

If Xhaka stays, both he and Zinchenko will earn plenty of minutes. Who starts may often be decided by the opposition, with the Ukrainian more likely to thrive against lower opposition without the burden of tracking back.

Yet regardless of who starts, the level of the midfield will be raised as competition forces both players to stay on top of their game. The lack of options in the middle of the park last season meant the starters in that position picked themselves. There is now finally another option to push Xhaka while providing his own unique skillset.

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