Oleksandr Zinchenko has completed his transfer from Arsenal to Ajax.
The Ukrainian left-back had been in talks with the Dutch giants for some time and flew to Amsterdam over the weekend in order to sign a contract and undergo a medical.
The deal has now been made official, with Zinchenko ending a difficult season-long loan spell at Nottingham Forest early in order to head to Ajax on a permanent deal reportedly worth just €1.5million (£1.2m) for Arsenal, plus Champions League-related bonuses.
The 29-year-old has signed a short-term contract at the Johan Cruyff Arena until the end of the season and could make his debut next weekend when fourth-place Ajax - who drew 2-2 with Excelsior on Sunday to leave them 18 points behind runaway leaders PSV Eindhoven - travel to face AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie.
Former assistant manager Fred Grim will remain in caretaker charge of Ajax until the summer after being handed the reins when former boss John Heitinga - now an assistant to Thomas Frank at Tottenham - was sacked after only five months in charge in November.
Zinchenko will reunite with Takehiro Tomiyasu after his former team-mate joined Ajax until the end of the season in December, five months after his contract at Arsenal was terminated early by mutual consent.
"With Oleksandr, we are bringing in an experienced player who gives us an immediate quality boost in the pursuit of Champions League football,” said Ajax’s director of football Marijn Beuker.
Ready to play for Ajax.
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) February 1, 2026
Welcome, Oleksandr Zinchenko! ❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/yyk9IWNicY
“As a left-back he is tactically strong, provides defensive stability and fits perfectly with our way of playing.
“Oleksandr has proven in the Premier League that, in addition to his defensive qualities, he can also play an important role in build-up play and breaking lines.
“We are therefore very pleased that he will strengthen our squad at least until the summer.”
Former PSV loanee Zinchenko won a wealth of major silverware at Manchester City, including four Premier League titles, before joining rivals Arsenal in a £32m deal in July 2022 - quickly following the same path as Gabriel Jesus.
He became a mainstay at left-back under Mikel Arteta, making 91 appearances across all competitions and scoring three goals.
However, the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna in a £42m deal in the summer of 2024 pushed him down the pecking order and he was sent on loan to Forest last July.
He made only 10 total appearances at the City Ground under three different managers, including just five Premier League outings as he became surplus to requirements under Sean Dyche behind regular left-back Neco Williams.
