Arsenal’s desire to offload Oleksandr Zinchenko, owing to his wage demands, is to move out, as the Ukrainian is currently surplus to requirements.

According to TBR, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s wage demands could prove to be an issue for Arsenal in their quest to offload the Ukrainian. The left-back is surplus to requirements at the Emirates as Sporting Director Andrea Berta wants to use the funds from sales to further bolster the first team squad.

Arsenal have had a strong transfer window so far, as they brought in six new first-team stars to bolster Mikel Arteta’s squad. Andrea Berta has been spearheading the Gunners’ recruitment this summer, with the new sporting director still planning on a few additions before the deadline.

Arsenal are probably at a stage where they might look to make some sales before bringing in new faces. Eberechi Eze remains a big target, but Berta would ideally want to offload a few of their current stars before he would make a bid for the attacking midfielder.

Fabio Vieira remains on the shortlist of players they want to sell alongside Reiss Nelson and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The latter had previous interest from AC Milan, but those links have gone cold over the last few weeks. Further reports were stating Arteta might end up keeping him, but that may see the club taking a big risk as the Ukrainian’s contract ends next summer.

Atletico Madrid were also linked previously, although they may have moved to other targets. As Zinchenko has played prominently during the club’s pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong, the reason for this was injuries to key stars. Fulham had also sounded out a move for the Ukrainian, although there’s a big issue for any of his suitors, which is the player’s wages.

Oleksandr Zinchenko’s wages are a problem

Berta is increasingly feeling the pressure to offload Zinchenko owing to his wages, as a modest transfer fee and waiving on his salary will seem like a nice kitty. With what he earns at Arsenal at the moment, it’s difficult to envisage any other team paying as much for the left-back.

There are some notable clubs interested in the first-team star, but the potential salary the left-back might demand could scupper any chance of a departure. Arsenal must decide on the Ukrainian’s future in the coming period, as offloading him will be one of the important tasks on Berta’s list.