Oleksandr Zinchenko could join West Ham or two other sides as Nottingham Forest loan news emerges
Oleksandr Zinchenko could soon be searching for another club to play for as Nottingham Forest weigh up whether to cut short his season-long loan from Arsenal.
Zinchenko featured just 23 times in all competitions for Arsenal last term, as Myles Lewis-Skelly’s emergence pushed him down the left-back pecking order.
Football Insider revealed ahead of the summer that Zinchenko was expected to leave Arsenal, but it took until the final knockings of the window for him to join Forest on a season-long loan.
The Ukraine international has made just 10 appearances for the Reds so far, with a miserly four Premier League starts as he struggles for game time under Sean Dyche.
Forest are open to ending his loan early this month, according to the BBC, and Football Insider have looked at three clubs who could look to sign him soon, with an Arsenal reprieve seeming unlikely.
West Ham
West Ham are currently seven points below fellow strugglers Forest, in 18th, but Nuno Espirito Santo is still being given control of transfers despite uncertainty around his future.
Starting left-back El-Hadji Malick Diouf has been a big miss over the last month as he takes part in the AFCON with Senegal, and the likes of Ollie Scarles and Ezra Mayers have not particularly impressed in his absence.
Scarles was even at fault for Fulham’s winner last month, and so with a new, more experienced left-back needed to provide proper competition to Diouf, Zinchenko could be a smart signing to make.
Everton
Everton have suffered a raft of defensive injuries this season, but Vitalii Mykolenko has been a near-constant at left-back, with 18 league appearances up to now.
Zinchenko’s fellow Ukrainian international has struggled to impress, however, while summer signing Adam Aznou has not been given a chance to shine and is clearly more suited to youth football as it stands.
David Moyes is planning to make additions to his defence this month, with Arsenal’s Ben White targeted at right-back, and a new left-back arrival could be key if they want to push for European qualification.
Zinchenko is no stranger to competing at such a high level, from his time at Arsenal and Man City, and he may end up on Merseyside before the window closes as a result.
Burnley
Burnley‘s struggles since promotion have left them in need of more defensive signings this month to stay in the battle for survival for as long as possible.
Scott Parker brought in left-back Quilindschy Hartman from Feyenoord in the summer window, but he has failed to make the position his own and has been linked with an exit ahead of, and during, this month.
Lucas Pires has been a regular starter on the left side of a back four or back five for the Clarets, but he was sent off against Newcastle last week, and his performances have been sub-par overall.
Zinchenko would join Burnley to be their first-choice left-back, which is exactly what he will be after following a tough spell on the sidelines at Forest, and his former teammate Kyle Walker could play a part in tempting him to Turf Moor.