Bundesliga giants readying possible move for Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko in January transfer window: Reports

Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund are reportedly preparing to make a move for Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko in the January transfer window. According to the Daily Telegraph, the Ukrainian defender is at the top of Dortmund's transfer wishlist.

Zinchenko joined the Gunners from fellow Premier League side Manchester City for a reported £30 million in the summer of 2022. While he was initially a regular feature in Mikel Arteta's starting lineup, injuries and inconsistent performances have dropped him down the pecking order of late.

The 28-year-old has made 13 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, with just four of those being starts. Arteta has preferred playing Jakub Kiwior, Riccardo Calafiori, and youth academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly over him, hinting that he might be on the chopping block.

Since Raphael Guerreiro's departure to rivals Bayern Munich in 2023, Dortmund have been looking for a long-term solution at left-back. With 18-year-old academy graduate Almugera Kabar still finding his feet, the only senior left-back in their squad is Algerian international Ramy Bensebaini.

Die Schwarzgelben were initially interested in signing rising star Renato Veiga from Chelsea on a loan-to-buy deal. However, Juventus seem to have beaten them to the Portuguese defender's signature, with many news outlets claiming that the Italian giants have sealed a six-month loan deal.

In such a scenario, a move for Zinchenko from the Emirates to the Westfalenstadion makes sense for all parties involved. His contract expires in 2026, which implies that Arsenal will probably have to accept an offer lower than the transfer fee that they paid for him.

"I am not sure" - Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivers update that could derail Oleksandr Zinchenko departure plans

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta delivered an update on the injury suffered by young left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly in the Gunners' 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in the Premier League (January 18).

After the North Londoners' 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League, the Spanish tactician discussed the 18-year-old's fitness. He said (via GOAL):

"I am not sure (if Lewis-Skelly will be fit to face Wolves on Saturday). He jarred his knee in the game against Villa and he thought it was okay when he finished the game. The next day it wasn't bad and then yesterday he wasn't feeling right, and so he started the session and he wasn't feeling good. So, we need some more tests tomorrow. Hopefully, it is nothing big, but the games are coming very fast."

Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko stepped into the starting lineup for Lewis-Skelly in the win against Dinamo Zagreb. Depending on the severity of the injury, Arsenal could decide against their original plan of parting ways with him in the January transfer window.

After Arteta's comments, it is likely that Zinchenko will feature in Arsenal's upcoming fixture, a Premier League clash against Wolves at the Molineux (January 25).