Arsenal are winning the transfer window and there's nothing you can do about it - The Warm-Up

TUESDAY'S BIG STORIES Crumbs From The Top Table Ad/> A theory: the reason a lot of football followers seem to prefer watching and supporting their team in the transfer market, as opposed to actually playing the sport, comes down to a question of agency. Winning a game of football is beyond the fan's control, after all, apart from the possible impacts of a lot of shouting. But winning the transfer market is an exercise in competitive storytelling, and everybody gets to play.

TransfersCity and Arsenal agree £30m fee for Zinchenko transfer — reports16/07/2022 AT 09:09 Oleksandr Zinchenko has agreed a move to Arsenal, so say the reports, and just has to sign on the dotted line and cough for the doctor. And this feels like a good deal. In one signing, Arsenal have managed to pick up an upgrade for Granit Xhaka and cover for Kieran Tierney.

They've got a player who comes with a pile of medals but also the desire to establish himself as a first-team regular. Even better, there's a certain attitude about Zinchenko, a kind of focused scrappiness. He looks irritating to play against, in a good way.

Possibly irritating to play with, also in a good way. And like Gabriel Jesus, Zinchenko has worked with Mikel Arteta before. So, both are serial winners, both are upgrades in their best positions and useful cover as well, and both should be able to slot right into their new surroundings.

Transfer stories don't get much better than that. /> Of course, if you're minded to be cynical, then the other version of events goes something like: this might well help Arsenal get from fifth to fourth, but it's hard to see it pushing them much closer to first. Because if either of them were good enough to be playing first team football for Manchester