AC Milan navigate wage hurdle in their attempts to sign defender Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal. They see the Ukrainian as the best option to replace the outgoing Theo Hernandez. The Serie A club would have to overcome serious financial barriers in terms of wages to complete a potential summer transfer.
Hernandez’s impending departure has put Mihalor in a good position. The French left-back turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. He is now in advanced talks with Atlético Madrid. Although Milan navigate wage hurdle but they rejected Madrid’s offer of €18m. It was not only unacceptable but required the club to further negotiations and longer wait times, as well. With Hernandez’s contract until 2026 and negotiations stalled over a new deal, manager Massimiliano Allegri wants Zinchenko due to his versatility and experience of playing in top leagues.
AC Milan are exploring the conditions of a potential deal for Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, according to Sky in Italy 🚨
The 28-year-old has one year left on his deal at Arsenal and Sky in Italy are reporting that his wages are a potential obstacle for Milan. pic.twitter.com/mRKKj9wLWN
The reports say that Zinchenko’s place in Arsenal’s squad significantly decreased during the 2024/25 season. In that year, he made just (5 Premier League starts) and 789 minutes in total in all competitions. He fell behind 18-y/o academy player Myles Lewis-Skelly. Also, the new signing Italian Riccardo Calafiori had a better year to be fair. It has also been reported that Arsenal would be willing to sell the 28-year-old for €15 million (£12.7m). Given it is a fraction of the £32 million they bought him from Manchester City for in 2022. Arsenal are able moved forward by agreeing on his contract wouldn’t expire until 2026.
Milan navigate their wage hurdle and are willing to pay Arsenal the fee they want. Zinchenko earns £150,000 a week (£5m a year) at Arsenal. Gunners are happy to pay that. But Milan were reluctant to meet the price as it’s a sum they find difficult to commit to. After their eighth-place finish in Serie A last time, it meant they lost out on European revenue. Milan have had numerous meetings with Zinchenko’s camp, including with an intermediary who flew to London to negotiate. However, they have run into stalemate with regards to the concession around the wage.
Milan are looking at Zinchenko but they have other targets. One of those is Arsenal centre-back Jakub Kiwior , who would replace Malick Thiaw who is currently negotiating a move to Bayern Leverkusen. Kiwior has Serie A experience (he played at Spezia) and therefore he is seen as a viable target and, most importantly, affordable. The two signings indicate Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri is feeling pressure to replace a defence which conceded 43 goals in league football last season.
🚨🌕 | AC Milan are evaluating Oleksandr Zinchenko as a potential replacement for Theo Hernandez. @DiMarzio 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/Uor8zBgHyN
Zinchenko has been under the radar of Juventus and Borussia Dortmund but neither club have progressed any further than dialogue. Meanwhile, Milan have identified other options including Manchester City’s Kyle Walker, however, as long as the wages fit, they would like Zinchenko as their first preference. Zinchenko sees a move to Milan as an opportunity to revive his career, with a timely thought of being a World Cup player in 2026 after scoring a double for Ukraine in two friendlies in June.
Milan has to decide whether to meet Zinchenko’s demands, or go for lesser targets such as Maxim De Cuyper, of Club Brugge. Arsenal, on the other hand, will be reinvesting the funds from player sales (Nuno Tavares: £6m to Lazio) into big signings (Viktor Gyökeres, Sporting CP). As negotiations continue, this transfer encapsulates the dilemma Milan faces in terms of rebuilding: ambition vs. monetary management, which is also confusingly a defining window for Allegri entering his second spell in charge.
For Zinchenko, Milan represents resurrection. For Milan, he stands for a high-reward for a high-risk play in the quest to return to prominence in Serie A.
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