Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal sporting director Edu to wrap up the transfer of Mykhaylo Mudryk as soon as possible, with Chelsea reportedly attempting to hijack the move.
Arsenal are in pole position to sign Mudryk and are in negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk over the transfer fee for the Ukraine winger. Mudryk is keen on a move to north London this month and has agreed personal terms with the Gunners, but the deal isn’t done yet.
Shakhtar rejected an opening bid of £55million from Arsenal and have publicly stated they want £85m for the 21-year-old. Arsenal have returned to the negotiating table and are still confident of signing Mudryk, who is their number one target in January.
The urgency has been heightened by a report from The Sun on Tuesday which said Chelsea are trying to muscle in on Arsenal’s transfer, despite their focus on signing Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Shakhtar director of football Darijo Srna is said to be jetting into London later this week to get a transfer done.
Arsenal were in Premier League action on Tuesday night, battling to a 0-0 draw against Newcastle. And after the match Arteta was asked if the game might have gone differently had the club signed someone in the first few days of the transfer window.
“I don’t know. That’s something more for Edu and the board to respond,” he said in his post-match press conference. “We are really trying to improve the squad in every window.
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“We’re trying to do our best because we cannot waste any windows still with the squad and the numbers that we have. We will try.”
Arteta echoed those comments in a separate interview with Sky Sports, saying: “We had what we had. We have some injuries as well and in attacking areas we don’t have that many options but it is what it is.
“That’s something we always try to do to improve our team and every window is important.”
Arsenal are currently without Gabriel Jesus, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson due to injury. Jesus is expected to be sidelined for a long time with the knee injury he picked up at the World Cup, while Nelson’s thigh injury is also significant. Smith Rowe is closer to returning.
Mudryk has attracted Arsenal’s attention due to a fantastic period of form with Shakhtar. He has 10 goals and eight assists in all competitions this campaign and has been excelling in the Champions League.
He has been open about his attraction to Arsenal. "I think every guy dreams about the Premier League,” he recently told CBS. “Arsenal is a very good team with a very good coach. I like the way they play. Yes, it would be hard to say no from my side, I can't say no but the transfer is not only my decision and my word."
