Top Arsenal star set for surprise stay after revealing ‘special’ squad number change

An Arsenal star who looked likely to leave this summer now appears almost certain to after revealing that he has switched to his favourite squad number ahead of the new season.

The Gunners have been fairly quiet in the window so far, bringing in David Raya on a permanent transfer after his loan last season as well as landing Bologna centre-back Riccardo Calafiori in a £42million deal.

A new central midfield and a striker will likely complete the set for Arsenal this summer, as they look to go one better and beat Manchester City to the Premier League title this time around.

In terms of outgoings. Emile Smith Rowe has been the biggest exit alongside the likes of Mohamed Elneny while Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares have both been loaned out.

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However, the addition of Calafiori has likely seen the Italy international brought in as the club’s new left-back, with that signing casting immediate doubts over the futures of both Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The latter has been heavily tipped to quit The Emirates after a tough season last time around where he largely underwhelmed under Mikel Arteta.

But despite all the talk of an exit after two years in north London, it would appear that is far from the case as Arsenal have announced that Zinchenko had selected a new squad number ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Zinchenko primed for Arsenal stay

He will switch from the No.35 to the No.17 shirt vacated by Cedric Soares, who is now a free agent after his contract expired – a change that would have unlikely been made if he was set to leave the club.

“The number 17 is a very special number to me. It was the number I wore as a young player, and I’ve always requested to wear 17 when playing for my country,” Zinchenko told Arsenal’s official website.

“With 17 being free since Cedric left, I asked if I could change, and thanks to everyone at the club for supporting me.

“It’s also very important to say that if anyone has bought this season’s new shirt directly from the club with my name and 35 on it, they can get an exchange to my new number.”

Zinchenko has not been able to wear 17 since leaving Russian club Ufa in 2016, due to Kevin De Bruyne and Cedric owning that number at City and Arsenal respectively.

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Meanwhile, no other Arsenal player has changed number this year, with new signing Calafiori set to line up with 33 on his back when the new season gets underway at home to Wolves on August 17.

Zinchenko’s shirt swap and Tierney’s current injury absence is likely to mean both players will still be on the club’s books by the time the summer transfer window shuts on August 30.