Arsenal's Zinchenko transfer blow may not mean it's game over for Arteta

Arsenal fans may have been disappointed at the news of Oleksandr Zinchenko's inclusion in Manchester City's squad for their pre-season tour of the US... but they shouldn't be.

The Gunners are interested in signing the Ukraine international, 25, to give Mikel Arteta more options in midfield and attack. Zinchenko, who's won four Premier League titles, can also play at left-back - providing cover for the injury-prone Kieran Tierney.

Arteta knows Zinchenko from his time as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Man City between July 2016 and December 2019. He will be fully aware of his character and what he can offer the squad as they look to achieve Champions League qualification this coming season.

Some believe Zinchenko's inclusion in Guardiola's summer squad suggests he's not available for transfer, yet that's not the case. History tells us that players often leave tours to complete moves, even if that can be disruptive to pre-season preparations.

In the summer of 2017, defender Andy Robertson flew home from Hull's pre-season trip to Portugal to sign for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. And 13 years earlier, midfielder Nicky Butt left Manchester United's tour of the US to sign for Sir Bobby Robson's Newcastle.

"We were on tour in America with Nicky - we knew what we were all thinking all of the time - and Nicky had become a little bit more frustrated with his 25, 30 games a season, being in and out of the team," Gary Neville told Sky Sports in 2020.

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"He wanted to go and play for Newcastle and be No 1 [choice midfielder], not a No 3 or No 4. He left that tour, going back to England to sign for Newcastle... Nicky leaving was a big disappointment, but you know it's going to happen one day."

Furthermore, Zinchenko wouldn't even need to travel far if he was to sign for Arsenal and join their pre-season tour. Like Man City, the Gunners are travelling around the US and have fixtures against MLS side Orlando City and London rivals Chelsea on the horizon.

Arsenal shouldn't be discouraged in their pursuit of Zinchenko and should do all they can to bring him to the Emirates. The Gunners need to add depth to their squad, despite already signing Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos, Matt Turner and Gabriel Jesus this summer.

Arteta's squad was stretched heading into the final few months of last season. The Spanish coach was forced to name three youngsters on the bench and rush Ben White back from injury for their crucial penultimate Premier League fixture against Newcastle.

That game ended in a 2-0 defeat, all but costing them a place in the Champions League. That's worrying when you consider Arsenal didn't even have European football last season. They'll need plenty of depth for their upcoming Europa League campaign.

Signing Zinchenko makes perfect sense if Arteta can persuade Guardiola to let him move to the Emirates. He offers Arsenal's young side versatility and reliability... and his inclusion in Man City's pre-season squad doesn't impact the transfer saga in the slightest.