Ajax discuss signing second Arsenal star after changing Oleksandr Zinchenko transfer plan

Ajax are working on a deal to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal following the termination of his loan spell with fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest

Ajax have added Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard to their shortlist as discussions over a permanent transfer for Oleksandr Zinchenko continue.

The Dutch giants had initially planned to sign the Ukrainian on loan for the remainder of the season, however, all parties are now working towards a permanent transfer agreement that will require the full-back to accept a notable pay cut.

Zinchenko’s contract in north London expires at the end of June so Ajax are now looking to pay off the final months of his Arsenal deal before landing the player on a free transfer.

There is also a chance the Premier League leaders could instead receive a small fee for the versatile 29-year-old, who spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Nottingham Forest.

However, he is not the only Arsenal player attracting interest from Amsterdam. That’s because Ajax are also in the market for a defensive midfielder and they have added Norgaard to their shortlist.

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He is not the only option on their radar though as they’ve also considered Manchester United’s Manuel Ugarte – which looks unlikely this month – and Liverpool’s Wataru Endo, who has been warming the bench at Anfield under Arne Slot.

Ajax already have a strong contingent of Japanese players having recently snapped up ex-Gunner Takehiro Tomiyasu on top of his international team-mate Ko Itakura.

Despite Norgaard’s lack of minutes at the Emirates Stadium following his £12million transfer (an initial £10m plus £2m in bonuses) from Brentford, Arsenal are not actively trying to offload the Dane this winter.

Naturally, there would be a reluctance to weaken Mikel Arteta’s squad in the midst of a Premier League title charge given they remain in all four competitions.

Ethan Nwaneri’s loan switch to Marseille is likely to mark the only first-team departure during the January window.

Norgaard has started just six matches in all competitions since signing on the dotted line for Arsenal, though none of those starts have come in the Premier League.

The 31-year-old has also featured as a makeshift centre-back in each of his past two outings.

He wasn’t short of interest prior to his Arsenal move either so there’s a strong likelihood Ajax won’t be the only club monitoring his situation closely.

The Denmark international penned a new two-year contract with the Bees in March, snubbing interest from the likes of Benfica.