Arsenal complete €1.5m sale of 29yo

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Arsenal complete €1.5m sale of 29yo

Sun, Feb 1, 2026 ·

2 min read

Arsenal have completed the sale of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Ajax in a deal worth €1.5m, bringing his three-year spell in north London to a close.

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

The Ukraineinternational departs after a loan spell at Nottingham Forest that failed to ignite, with Sean Dychemaking it clear earlier this season that Zinchenkowas not part of the club's long-term plans. That decision led to the early termination of his loan and opened the door for a permanent move to the Netherlands.

The transfer sees Arsenalrecoup a modest fee for a player they signed from Manchester City in 2022 for €35m. The structure of the deal includes add-ons, understood to be linked to Ajaxqualifying for the Champions League.

Zinchenkoarrived at Arsenalas a signing viewed internally as both ambitious and tactically significant. Mikel Artetasaw him as a player capable of operating at left back while stepping into midfield in possession, adding flexibility and experience to the side rather than simply providing squad depth.

Across all competitions, Zinchenkomade 91 appearances for Arsenal, scoring three goals and providing five assists. His time at the club, however, was repeatedly disrupted by injury, with ongoing calf problems limiting his availability across successive seasons.

Arsenal noted , "Alex's season-long loan with Nottingham Forest has been ended by mutual consent, and the defender now moves to the Netherlands to join the Eredivisie side. We thank Alex for his contribution to the club and wish him and his family well in their new chapter."

The reduced transfer fee reflects Zinchenko'scontract situation, with the defender entering the final months of his deal. With limited leverage, Arsenalopted to move him on permanently while also removing his wages from the books for the remainder of the campaign.

Zinchenkoendured a difficult spell on loan at Nottingham Forestand has previously described last season as the toughest of his career. The move to Ajaxnow offers him the opportunity for a fresh start in a new league.