Forgotten Arsenal man seals last-gasp deadline day move

Oleksandr Zinchenko has completed a late deadline day loan move to Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal confirmed the departure of the Ukrainian over three hours past the 19:00 BST transfer deadline after the Athletic's David Ornstein had broke the news that Forest had submitted a deal sheet prior to the window's closure.

The left back had been linked with a move away from north London throughout the entirety of the summer and has finally got it at the final stage.

Oleksandr Zinchenko joins Nottingham Forest on loan

Zinchenko's move to the Europa League side is reported to be a straight loan and won't include a buy option. The deal materialised after Forest's attempts to sign Javi Galan from Atletico Madrid collapsed at the final stage.

The Ukrainian joins Forest having fallen out of favour at Arsenal. He signed for the club from Manchester City ahead of the 2022/23 season and was initially a crucial cog in Mikel Arteta's team, making 68 appearances throughout his first two campaigns in north London.

However, his recurring fitness issues and frequent defensive errors saw both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori rise above him in the left back pecking order last season, resigning him to playing just 23 times throughout the term.

He was frequently listed as one of many names on the Gunners' departure list, but never really came close to securing a move away until his deadline day switch to Forest. Olympique Marseille had been exploring a move for the left back during the final days of the window, but backed out of a potential deal.

Zinchenko has now entered the final 12 months of his contract at Arsenal, meaning it will be on the verge of expiration once he returns from his loan. That will prompt some fans to think a permanent exit may have been the best course of action, but the Gunners will be glad to at least have his wages off the books for this season.

It's uncertain how Andrea Berta and Co will deal with the situation once the Ukrainian comes back to north London, but can be pleased that they have moved him on, at least for the year. He follows a number of teammates in departing the club on deadline day after Jakub Kiwior, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Reiss Nelson all left the club over the last 24 hours.

His move away comes at the end of a busy summer on all fronts for Arsenal and fulfils the previous desire to ship off a number of unwanted players. While the Gunners will be pleased to have ridden the squad of deadwood, the move also offers Zinchenko a great chance to reignite his career with a side looking to compete in Europe this season.

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