Mikel Arteta sends message to fans about new Arsenal signing
Mikel Arteta believes that Oleksandr Zinchenko will bring a winning mentality to Arsenal following his move from Man City
Oleksandr Zinchenko (Photo: Vlad Moskovenko / depositphotos.com)
Mikel Arteta believes that Oleksandr Zinchenko will bring a winning mentality to Arsenal after the Gunners completed a deal to sign the defender from Manchester City.
Zinchenko becomes the Gunners’ fifth signing of the summer transfer window, with the Ukraine international joining the north Londoners after they agreed a £30m deal with the Citizens.
The defender has signed a “long-term” contract with the Gunners and will be aiming to help the north Londoners challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League next season.
Zinchenko, 25, worked under Arteta at Manchester City when the Spaniard was Pep Guardiola’s assistant boss and the pair won the Premier League title together in 2018 and 2019.
And Arteta has now lifted the lid on why he chose to bring Zinchenko to The Emirates this summer to bolster his squad.
“We are here to win – to win the way we want to play and Alex has both of them,” said Arteta. “He’s got the background, he’s got experience of doing that, but as well, he wants a big role.
“He’s in the stage of his career now that he’s looking for another challenge and we could offer him as a club that challenge, and I could offer him as a coach, that role in the team.”
Asked why he chose to bring Zinchenko to The Emirates, Arteta continued: “First of all the human quality. Who he is as a person, what he stands for, the strong character that he has, and then the passion that he has for this game.
“It’s something that I will never forget because he was always the first one in training (at City), the first one to get out the balls, the first one to practise, the first one to always demand for more, his level of attention, and decide to play at the highest level and fulfil his potential.
“It’s something, and a quality, that in my opinion for any footballer is something unique.”
The versatile Ukraine international joined Manchester City from Ufa in 2016 and has won four Premier League titles under Guardiola.
Zinchenko is Arsenal’s fifth signing of the summer, with the Gunners also having landed Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos and Matt Turner ahead of the new campaign.
The north Londoners will kick off their Premier League campaign with a trip to face Crystal Palace on the opening weekend of the campaign.