Arsenal football star Oleksandr Zinchenko has been defeated in a legal dispute with HMRC over thousands of pounds in unpaid tax.

His company, Alex Zinchenko Image Rights, was targeted by tax officials for an unsettled tax bill and representatives from the 28-year-old’s firm appeared in the High Court this week.

The latest accounts for the business from 2023 showed that Zinchenko’s company had a tax liability of £893,133 in 2023 and £834,164 the previous year. The brief hearing did not disclose the exact amount of tax owed but representatives assured that the debt would be paid.

The company account revealed that Zinchenko, who earns around £150k per week and is a multiple-time Premier League winner, had a £1.8million loan from the business. HMRC initiated the process to close down the company in September last year, but at the London hearing earlier this week the court heard a settlement had been reached, with Alex Zinchenko Image Rights set to close in March.

Zinchenko was a company director and held the only share until November 3, when fellow director Artemijs Rjabovs, an Ukrainian FA official, took over.

Last year, Zinchenko declared that he would leave the Premier League to serve as a soldier in his native Ukraine if called upon. He also disclosed that he has donated approximately £1million to aid people in his home country following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Zinchenko expressed a deep sense of duty and emotion regarding the situation in his homeland, stating: “I would go [to fight]. It’s tough to understand that just recently we’ve been in the same school, we were playing in the playground or on the football pitch, and now they have to defend our country.

“And, honestly, [it’s] so hard to accept this, but it is what it is. We cannot give up.”

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter with the day’s key headlines and transfer news straight into your inbox