Arsenal defender admits 2024/25 was his worst season | OneFootball

Oleksandr Zinchenko has called the 2024/25 season his worst campaign on a personal level, suggesting that he wants to be playing more regularly.

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Writing in his autobiography Believe, Oleksandr Zinchenko has reflected negatively on his most recent season as an Arsenal player.

“I was basically out of the starting XI altogether, bar a few isolated matches,” Zinchenko said (via The Athletic). “In pure personal terms, it was easily the worst season I ever experienced as a professional.

“It’s one thing when your body lets you down. That can happen. But going from one of the established play­ers of the side to unused sub is much harder to deal with.

“Every footballer started playing because they love to play the game. A big part of your life is missing without it.”

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Zinchenko admitted he has to take his share of the blame for his own situation, but added that he wants to be playing football.

“I’ve never been a player who runs to the manager, com­plains or asks tonnes of questions,” Zinchenko insisted. “I can only blame myself. If I don’t play, it means that I didn’t work hard enough, didn’t do enough, didn’t play well enough.

“Let’s see what time will bring. Because I still want to play football. I want to enjoy the game and come back with a smile on my face in the evening.”

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Recent reports have suggested that Zinchenko is considering running down the final year of his contract at Arsenal before leaving as a free agent, and those are claims repeated in The Athletic’s post on the new quotes.

James McNicholas writes that the left-back is open to moving for the right opportunity, but whilst that could be now, it could also be in 12 months’ time on a free transfer.

Yet that stance is seemingly inconsistent with Zinchenko’s comments. If he wants to be playing regularly, it doesn’t seem likely that will be with Arsenal this season.

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The 28-year-old was involved in the Gunners’ pre-season schedule of friendly matches, but not as an obvious starter: