Arsenal are reportedly keen on luring Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhaylo Mudryk to the Emirates, but the 21-year-old wide-forward has admitted he has some expectations before he goes anywhere.
The Gunners currently sit five points clear at the top of the Premier League and will be top of the pile on Christmas Day for the first time since the 2007/08 season. With that in mind, Mikel Arteta is thought to be keen on keeping Arsenal's title charge alive by making some key additions in the January transfer window.
He is expected to strengthen in a position he tried and failed to last summer by adding another winger to the ranks. Mudryk is certainly highly thought of by those at the top of the Gunners hierarchy and is rumoured to have been personally recommended to the club by Ukrainian team-mate and skipper Oleksandr Zinchenko.
If Arsenal really do view Mudryk as a priority target, they may want to act quickly at the turn of the year given the amount of other European giants keeping tabs on him. That number has only increased in the wake of his stunning start to the season, during which he has scored three times and registered two assists in the Champions League.
Mudryk himself has recently discussed his future at length with Vlada Sedan, wife of Gunners left-back Zinchenko, and openly addressed the Arsenal links as he explained he would need some assurances from Arteta before any contract is signed.
Pressed for comment on whether he is aware of the rumours touting him with a move to north London and if he follows the Gunners closely as a result, Mudryk revealed to Sedan’s YouTube channel : "Yeah. I check on them on MyScore and know when they’re playing I can check on them.
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"I also watch them too. They are a very dynamic side, in general not just in controlling possession but also in scoring goals."
The flattery of the Gunners did not stop there, but Mudryk explained how it isn't as simple as joining the moment Arsenal offer a deal.
"From a purely hypothetical perspective if there was the option of being a bench player for Real Madrid or a starter for Arsenal, I’d probably choose Arsenal.
"But it’s a tough question and involves a lot of factors in my answer. I would first want to know from the head coach that even if I wasn’t a guaranteed starter, that I’d receive a chance.
"Essentially I need to hear directly from the manager what he envisages my role in his side to be."
He went on to explain how the brand of football on offer is of more importance to him than things like the stature of the club. Arteta has Arsenal playing some of the best football in the league, another reason why their pursuit of the 'Ukrainian Neymar' could prove successful.
