Arsenal now 'preparing paperwork' for major transfer at Emirates

Arsenal are “preparing the paperwork and medical” for Oleksandr Zinchenko, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Mikel Arteta has already signed one of his former players in Gabriel Jesus and he is on the cusp of securing another in the Ukraine international.

In what’s proving a rapid transfer, Romano confirmed on his Twitter account that Zinchenko’s move to north London is on the verge of being completed.

The Italian journalist has already given the deal the ‘here we go‘ approval and stated that Arsenal will pay the Premier League champions £30m for his services.

He also revealed that personal terms have been agreed, with Zinchenko keen on reuniting with Arteta, who was assistant manager at the Etihad Stadium for three-and-a-half years.

With the deal drawing to its conclusion, when asked for an update, Romano simply replied “it’s nearly done”.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “At the moment, the priority is to complete the Zinchenko deal, and it’s almost done, they’re just preparing the paperwork and the medical and then it will be done.”

First and foremost, Zinchenko is a player that Arteta knows well and clearly trusts him enough to bring him to north London.

But there’s far more to Arsenal’s interest than just familiarity.

The Ukraine captain has always been a reliable customer for Manchester City, and beyond the fact he’s a proven winner, having won four Premier League titles, four Carabao Cups and an FA Cup, the 25-year-old offers incredible versatility.

Not only will Zinchenko provide stiff competition for Kieran Tierney at left-back, but his natural ability on the ball allows him to excel in midfield when playing for his country.

In fact, Zinchenko has played higher up the pitch in 41 of his 52 caps, particularly