La Liga giants join Dortmund in Oleksandr Zinchenko race
- Zinchenko attracting plenty of interest after losing Arsenal starter role
- Dortmund interested in Ukraine international
- Report names Atletico Madrid as potential suitors
By Tom Gott
Atletico Madrid have joined the race to sign Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, a report has claimed.
Zinchenko's future at Arsenal was called into question following the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori during the summer, and an injury has recently sent him tumbling down the pecking order as teenage star Myles Lewis-Skelly has made the position his own.
His situation has piqued the interest of Borussia Dortmund, but Florian Plettenberg notes the Bundesliga side are not alone in the chase as Atletico have opened talks over a winter switch to Spain.
Atletico are happy to meet Arsenal's demands of a permanent transfer, either immediately or in the form of a loan with an obligatory purchase clause.
The Gunners value Zinchenko, who is said to be keen to leave in search of regular minutes, at around €20m (£16.8m) plus bonuses. That package is thought to be too expensive for Dortmund, who have fallen behind in the race for his signature. Chelsea's out-of-favour full-back Ben Chilwell is an alternative.
Selling Zinchenko would aid Arsenal's quest to sign a new striker before the January transfer window closes, with manager Mikel Arteta admitting his side "clearly" need more support up top.
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