Oleksandr Zinchenko is closing in on a move to Borussia Dortmund as he looks to end a disappointing season with Arsenal.
Zinchenko arrived at the Emirates in a £30million deal from Manchester City in July 2022. He quickly helped to turn the Gunners into Premier League title contenders from his position at left-back.
But the signing of Riccardo Calafiori in the summer and Myles Lewis-Skelly's emergence from the academy has sent the Ukranian plummeting down the pecking order. He has made just 13 appearances in all competitions, starting only four games.
The latest of those starts came in Wednesday's Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb. But while Lewis-Skelly and Calafiori are both recovering from injury, Arsenal appear to be ready to let Zinchenko leave.
According to The Telegraph, Dortmund have emerged as the frontrunners to sign him, with Arsenal expecting him to leave before the end of the window. The Bundelsiga side are in the market for a new left-back and have put Zinchenko at the top of their shortlist.
Chelsea ’s Ben Chilwell is thought to be an alternative for Dortmund, but Zinchecko is currently seen as their top target. It is expected the Gunners will not stand in the 28-year-old's way if Dortmund do come calling.
Zinchenko is thought to be a popular figure inside the dressing room and with staff. And boss Mikel Arteta has hinted that Lewis-Skelly's injury is not as bad as first feared, with Calafiori on the bench for the win over Zagreb.
He said: "He judged it in the game against Villa and he thought it was okay and he finished the game and the next day it wasn't bad. And then yesterday he wasn't feeling right so he started the session and he wasn't feeling good so we need some more tests tomorrow. Hopefully it's nothing big but the games are coming very fast."
Dortmund have endured an awful season and sacked manager Nuri Sahin on Wednesday. Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is thought to be one of the leading candidates with managing director of sport Lars Ricken insisting their focus is on this weekend's game against Werder Bremen.
"I told Nuri about the decision and he reacted with class and magnitude. It was also important for him to say goodbye to the team last night. He did so in a very dignified and respectful manner," Ricken said.
"I'm a fan of promoting someone from our own stable if they've performed well. However, I believe that in our current situation, we need external input to take steps forward in our development. That's what we're looking for.
"We have one or two candidates in mind. Now all our focus is on the game against Bremen. We have to have a very good second half of the season to potentially achieve our goals. A win against Bremen is a must."