Vincent Kompany eyes £35m Premier League star as first Bayern Munich transfer

Bayern Munich are monitoring out-of-favour Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko, who could become Vincent Kompany's first signing as their new manager.

Former Burnley boss Kompany was presented to the media on Thursday following a haphazard three-month managerial search, but Bayern have still been able to identify transfer targets in the meantime. Zinchenko, 27, found himself third in the left-back pecking order under Mikel Arteta towards the end of the season, losing out to Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior for the big games.

The return of Jurrien Timber from an ACL injury will increase competition in both full-back areas, a luxury which Bayern don't currently have. Alphonso Davies has been heavily linked with a transfer to Real Madrid and Mirror Football understands that as a result, the German heavyweights are keeping an eye on developments with Zinchenko.

After joining the Gunners for £35million in 2022 and immediately impressing, the Ukrainian looked set to be a mainstay at the Emirates for years to come. But a change of tack from Arteta and a persistent calf issue has left him lacking in regular game-time.

Zinchenko played alongside Kompany for three years at Manchester City, mostly being played at left-back after signing from Russian side Ufa as a creative midfielder. The 27-year-old's attributes align with Kompany's style of play, so a move could suit all parties.

He's not the only left-back to be linked with Bayern, though, as AC Milan's Theo Hernandez is also on their radar. The Frenchman is a year younger than Zinchenko and offers superior attacking output, having scored 29 goals and racked up 35 assists in 214 appearances.

Hernandez is also a regular for France and known to have a ferocious left foot. The ex-Real Madrid starlet could cost significantly more than Zinchenko, however, with L'Equipe reporting that Milan will demand €80million (£68m) for his services.

That's likely less than what Arsenal would demand for Zinchenko, who acknowledged his personal dip in 2023-24 during an end-of-season post on social media. "Proud of the team and happy to be one of you Gunners," he wrote, with Arteta's side missing out on the Premier League title on the final day.

"The club's season is over now and unfortunately we didn't get what we wanted but I am sure this club is on the right way to achieve everything. Personally I completely understand that it wasn't my best season so far and I promise first of all to all fans and doubters that I'll be back much stronger. Thank you so much for your massive support and see you very soon."