Over five months at Ajax, Oleksandr Zinchenko took to the field twice and played a total of 26 minutes. Not due to lack of the coach's confidence — but because of a knee injury sustained on February 14 in a home match against Fortuna Sittard. Surgery. Rehabilitation. Contract end. On June 30, the Amsterdam club officially confirmed: there would be no renewal.
How Zinchenko ended up at Ajax
The path there was non-linear. In the summer of 2025, the defender left Arsenal and went to Nottingham Forest on loan. On February 1, 2026, he ended his loan early and transferred to Ajax on a permanent basis — for 1.5 million euros, with a contract until the end of the season. His debut took place on February 8 against AZ. Six days later — injury.
"We would like to thank Vítězslav, Takehiro and Oleksandr for their dedication and contribution to the club, and wish them every success in the next stage of their careers."
Ajax press service
Along with Zinchenko, the club was left by goalkeeper Vítězslav Jaroš and Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu. Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff announced that neither Zinchenko nor Wout Weghorst appeared at the first training session of the new season on June 22 — both are no longer part of the team.
What stands behind the figure "26 minutes"
26 minutes is not just statistics. It is all the playing time Zinchenko spent for Ajax in two official matches. Due to prolonged recovery, he also missed crucial spring matches of the Ukrainian national team. Now, as a free agent, the 29-year-old defender enters the market without any confirmed match fitness — and this is the main problem for potential employers, not the fact of the club change itself.
Earlier, in the summer of 2025, Zinchenko was already linked with José Mourinho's Fenerbahçe — the transfer did not happen then. Now the range of options has narrowed: clubs willing to sign a player without recent practice and with questions about physical condition typically do not belong to the top 5 leagues in Europe.
The national team as the only guideline
For Zinchenko, a place in the Ukrainian national team has always meant more than a club career. But selection for the next tournament requires playing form — and there is nowhere to prove it. This is a vicious circle: without a club there is no practice, without practice — it is difficult to justify a national team call-up.
If Zinchenko finds a club by August and gets at least a few matches in new colors — the question of his place in the national team resolves itself. If negotiations drag on until autumn, the coaching staff will face an uncomfortable choice between loyalty to an experienced player and the real need for form.
