Mikel Arteta: Midfield Role For Oleksandr Zinchenko Is Possible

Mikel Arteta is open to pushing Zinchenko further…

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta acknowledged that he’s been reluctant to use Oleksandr  Zinchenko in a midfield role since his arrival last year, but admitted that it’s an option he’s considering.

The former Manchester City man operates in the middle of the park for his national team, and it’s also a position he played in for his entire career prior to his move to the Etihad Stadium.

After Pep Guardiola’s side suffered an injury crisis in the left-back role, it was Arteta who suggested to his former boss to use Zinchenko as an inverted full-back.

That move helped create the most prolific team in Premier League history as Man City raced to 100 points to win the title in 2018.

Arteta brought the Ukrainian international to north London in the summer of 2022 – reuniting him with Gabriel Jesus in the process, – leading many to believe the 26-year-old was being brought in to play in midfield.

However, Arteta has operated Zinchenko in the same role he was deployed at Man City, deciding against moving him further up the field even in circumstances where we’ve been short in midfield.

“He does play in that role, coming from a different position in the attacking phase,” Arteta explained when asked why Zinchenko doesn’t play in midfield for Arsenal (via Arsenal.com).

“He doesn’t play there in defensive positions because we believe we have other players to do that. But it is a possibility, it’s a good question, because he is on it and it’s a possibility.”

If you check Zinchenko’s heat map, you’d often be forgiven for thinking that he was playing in midfield given the license he’s given to drift inside.

While Arteta acknowledges Zinchenko’s ability to play in midfield when we’re in possession, he clearly has reservations about him on the transition and whether he possesses the physical qualities to prevent attacks from developing.