Arsenal have poached a second player from Manchester City – and the Gunners believe it will take their team to ‘another level’.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest beat a host of rival Premier League sides to sign a sought-after Manchester United exit and Brentford have added a star defender.
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Arsenal on Friday signed Ukraine defender Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City in a £30m ($36m) deal.
Zinchenko has agreed a “long-term deal” with the Gunners as he reunites with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who worked with the left-back during his time as City boss Pep Guardiola’s assistant.
“We are so happy that Alex has joined us. He’s a player I know very well personally and I’ll be watching even after my time at Manchester City,” Arteta said.
“Alex is a high quality player who will give us options and versatility. It’s not just about the positions he can play, it’s also the versatility he’ll give us in attack and defense.” The 25-year-old is Arteta’s second raid on Premier League champions City since the end of the last season after signing Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus for £45million.
Arsenal have also landed Marquinhos, Matt Turner and Fabio Vieira in the current transfer window.
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Zinchenko, who has 52 caps for Ukraine, made 128 appearances for City after joining in 2016 but only made 15 Premier League appearances last season.
He has won both the Premier League and League Cup four times and won the FA Cup once.
A desire for guaranteed first-team action and the opportunity to play more often in midfield convinced him to join Arsenal, who finished fifth in the Premier League last season.
“First of all, I would like to say that a childhood dream has come true here because I was a huge fan as a child,” Zinchenko said in an interview with the Arsenal website. “Since Thierry Henry and young Cesc Fabregas have played here, I just enjoyed watching these games, this arsenal. And obviously I started to love this club so I’m so excited and can’t wait to play for this great club.”
Zinchenko has already joined Arsenal on their pre-season tour in Orlando. Arsenal technical director Edu said: “I’m really happy to see how we work as a team here at the club. Oleksandr Zinchenko was a main focus on our list.
“We are delighted to have Alex with us now as he has the qualities that are sure to take our squad to a new level.”
LINGARD FIND NEW PL HOUSE
Newly promoted Nottingham Forest beat competition from other Premier League sides to sign Jesse Lingard on a free transfer on Thursday.
Lingard left Manchester United as a free agent last month after an 11-year career as a senior at Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old has scored 35 goals in 231 games for the Red Devils and also impressed on loan at West Ham in the 2020/21 season.
A return to the Hammers was rumored but, according to The Guardian, they were reportedly caught off guard by Forest’s offer of a one-year deal worth £200,000 a week.
Lingard is also hoping to return to the fight for a place in England’s World Cup squad.
The midfielder was part of the squad for Gareth Southgate, who reached the semi-finals of the World Cup four years ago and narrowly missed out on a spot in the Euro 2020 squad last year after making the provisional list.
Lingard will join forces with former United team-mate Dean Henderson, who went on loan earlier this month.
Forest have also signed Moussa Niakhate, Giulian Biancone, Omar Richards, Neco Williams, Harry Toffolo, Lewis O’Brien, Brandon Aguilera, Wayne Hennessey and Taiwo Awoniyi as they prepare for their first season in the top flight in 24 years.
BURNLEY SKIPPER BACK IN THE PREM
Brentford have signed former Burnley captain Ben Mee on a free transfer after agreeing a two-year deal with the defender.
The 32-year-old left Burnley when his contract expired after being relegated from the Premier League last season.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has said the centre-back will add “quality and experience” to his squad.
“I really like his defensive attitude,” he said. “He knows how to defend the penalty area, he knows how to block a shot and he knows how to win tackles.
“He will bring leadership and communication to the team, which is very attractive.
“He has a very good left foot and will do us a lot of good in set pieces in both boxes. I look forward to adding him to the squad.”
Mee, who played nearly 400 times for Burnley over an 11-year period, is Brentford’s fourth signing of the transfer window, alongside Aaron Hickey, Keane Lewis-Potter and Thomas Strakosha in west London.
Back in the top flight after a 74-year absence, Brentford finished 13th in the Premier League table last season.