Arsenal given unwanted transfer reminder that may still haunt Mikel Arteta

As is often the case in football, clubs can live to regret passing up on certain transfers.

Arsenal have been involved in their fair share of missed opportunities over the years, though have erased this trend in recent years with Mikel Arteta at the helm.

One player the Gunners were strongly linked with during the summer transfer window but did not strike a deal for was Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy. The 28-year-old was reportedly transfer-listed by Los Blancos at the end of last season, placing Arsenal «on alert».

Mendy, who signed for Real from Lyon in 2019, remained at the Spanish giants despite suggestions the Frenchman was keen to seek a new challenge elsewhere, with the guarantee of a three-year contract. Had the defender moved on and headed to north London, who knows how Arsenal's season may have looked at present.

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Arteta has, of course, placed his trust in Oleksandr Zinchenko to continue delivering for him on a weekly basis, facing little competition in this area with Kieran Tierney on loan at Real Sociedad and Jakub Kiwior still finding his feet in the Premier League.

Zinchenko has impressed the majority of times he has starred for the Gunners this term, though has been guilty of committing individual errors that have cost the team. Arteta has continued to stand by the Ukrainian whenever challenged on the reliability of the former Manchester City man, making clear how highly he values his services.

«You have to love him how he is» said the Arsenal boss after Zinchenko's mistake in a 2-1 win over Wolves last month. «He has strengths and weaknesses and