Arsenal should abandon their negotiations for Mykhaylo Mudryk and focus on trying to sign two stars with Premier League experience under their belts, according to Emmanuel Petit.
The Gunners remain locked in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk for Mudryk, who is their number one transfer target in January. Although they have seen two bids rejected by the Ukrainian side, and been worried by the interest from Chelsea, they are close to reaching an agreement.
The 22-year-old, who has made it clear he’s keen to join Arsenal, has 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions this campaign for Shakhtar. He has been scouted by a whole host of European clubs, but Petit isn’t convinced he is worth Shakhtar’s €100million (£88m) asking price.
"Don't be drawn into a bidding war with Chelsea," he told Compare.Bet. "If Chelsea want to splash £100million on him, Arsenal should let him go.
"But I'm not sure that's the desire of Mudryk. I've been told he wants to come to Arsenal, reuniting as a pair with [Oleksandr] Zinchenko."
Chelsea have held talks with Shakhtar director of football Darijo Srna for Mudryk. But they are now close to announcing the signing of Joao Felix, on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Mykhaylo Mudryk the right man for Arsenal this month? Comment below.
All the indications are that Mudryk will be an Arsenal player by the end of the January transfer window, but Petit would prefer his former club to save their cash for Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
"We all know the qualities of Saint-Maximin, and he's still on my mind all the time," Petit said. "If he's in a good system with good players, he can still improve a lot. So for me, Saint-Maximin would be a good option if Arsenal can't buy Mudryk."
He added: "I know that Chelsea wants him, but if I were Declan Rice, I wouldn’t go to Chelsea, I would go to Arsenal. The two clubs are going in different directions and the way Arsenal is playing, he would be the perfect option for Arsenal."
Arsenal are top of the Premier League, five points clear of defending champions Manchester City. Mikel Arteta's side have been very impressive this season, but are keen to add quality to their squad this month to sustain their form.
Speaking after their 3-0 win over Oxford United in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday night, Arteta urged the club to build on their work in the summer. He said: "I think so (things are going as planned). We need to go a step further, 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."
