Arsenal fans, it's time to move on from Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The Ukrainian wonderkid has joined London rivals Chelsea in an eye-watering £87m transfer deal, despite the Gunners battling for his signature over weeks on fraught negotiations.
Mudryk was spotted at Stamford Bridge ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Sunday and during a goalless first half, his big-money arrival was confirmed.
It leaves Mikel Arteta, who'd made the 21-year-old winger his top target ahead the January transfer window, frustrated but far from short of options to bolster his side's title charge. In fact, there are a number of players who Emirates chiefs could target, even some who they held talks with over the summer.
With that in mind, here are six players who Arsenal could move for after missing out on Mudryk.
Raphinha
Kicking off our list is the man believed to be the Gunners' top target. Having been in another scrap with Chelsea to sign Raphinha from Leeds United during the summer transfer window, the Brazilian winger eventually decided to hold out for dream club Barcelona to sufficiently remedy their financial issues and snap him up in a £55m deal.
Raphinha exploded onto the Premier League scene in late 2020 following Leeds' promotion to the top flight, joining from Rennes and wasting no time to adapt to the English game. His time in La Liga, however, has been a different kettle of fish.
With two goals and two assists to his name in league play, the 26-year-old's stop-start form has reportedly prompted Barca chiefs to consider selling him after just six months in Catalunya. According to Sport, Camp Nou chiefs will reassess his move in the summer, but it's safe to say an earlier bid from Arsenal could well tempt them into sale.
Raphinha has also voiced his displeasure at playing on the left wing for Barcelona, having starred on the right at Elland Road. "Yes, I spoke with Xavi and told him that I would like to compete where I can contribute to the team, on the right," the 16-times Brazil international revealed in an interview with Cadena SER. "On the left, I can't contribute much."
Although Mudryk also preferred to operate on the left, bringing in competition for the right-sided Bukayo Saka can't be a bad thing.
Leandro Trossard
Another attainable, Premier League-proven option is Brighton & Hove Albion outcast Leandro Trossard. The Belgium international, 28, finds himself searching for a move away from the south coast after a fallout with manager Robert De Zerbi which prompted him to head back to his homeland over the past weekend.
Missing the Seagulls' 3-0 demolition of Liverpool, Trossard has been an increasingly important player for Brighton in recent years and his sublime hat-trick at Anfield earlier this season summed up his progress. Although his age profile isn't ideal, the fact he could be available for a cut-price fee should appeal to Arsenal, especially with only 18 months left on his contract.
Yeremy Pino
In the final weeks of the summer transfer window, just as Arteta's squad looked to be set in stone, reports emerged that Arsenal were in talks to seal a £55m deal for Villarreal starlet Yeremy Pino. Turning 20 in October, he's now a fully-fledged Spain international and went to the World Cup in Qatar.
Handed 15 starts this term in which he's notched two goals from the left wing, Yeremy's stock continues to rise; particularly seeing a boost after he scored in Villarreal's recent win against Real Madrid. The Spaniards would surely consider a lucrative sale to boost their finances, although new manager Quique Setien has the Yellow Submarine in full flow and the youngster might fancy helping his boyhood club to a Champions League finish.
Marcus Thuram
On the other end of the financial spectrum is Marcus Thuram. A World Cup finalist with France, the versatile 25-year-old forward is set to be the subject of a bidding war over the coming months, with his deal at Borussia Monchengladbach due to expire in June and a move away looking almost certain.
Although boss Daniel Farke has claimed that not "many" clubs interest Thuram right now, a reported four-year contract offer from Inter Milan signals just how sought-after he is. Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked, but Arsenal could blow them out of the water before January 31 by paying Gladbach's alleged asking price of £13.2m.
Wilfried Zaha
After nine years back at Crystal Palace, the end could be nigh for Wilfried Zaha. At 30 years of age, the Ivory Coast international is running down his contract with the Eagles in the hope that a Champions League club finally comes in for him this summer.
And who's likely to be a Champions League club come September? Arsenal. The Gunners, flying high at the top of the Premier Leaguer table, have long been linked with a move for Zaha and January may well be the perfect time to swoop, giving Palace a fee which they won't receive come June in the process. Not only could the talismanic Londoner give Arteta another option out wide, but also fill in up front in the absence of injured star striker Gabriel Jesus, taking the pressure off current deputy Eddie Nketiah.
Moussa Diaby
Last but certainly not least, Bayer Leverkusen star Moussa Diaby is beginning to make himself a household name over in Germany. Still only 23 and having broken into the French national team setup, the explosive winger is on track for his best goalscoring season yet in the Bundesliga, having bagged six already this season.
Last term, Diaby racked up 13 goals and registered 12 assists over 32 league starts, attracting interest from Newcastle United this past summer. What's alluring about the PSG academy graduate is that he's able to comfortably slot into a variety of forward positions, most often playing on the right but also on the left and through the middle.
Have your say! Which player should Arsenal sign instead of Murdryk? Let us know your pick in the comments section.
A flexible forward would be ideal for Arteta, who's made it clear that he wants reinforcements before the window slams shut. "We need to go a step further," the Gunners boss recently affirmed. "We need players that already know what winning feels like and are able to transmit that.
"The likes of Gabi (Jesus) and Oleksandr (Zinchenko) we brought that to the football club, they are still very young, they don't have that much experience but they are hungry and have the quality to deliver us to the next level."
