As far as things at Arsenal are going this season, fans have been reminded why they should have trusted the process Mikel Arteta was talking about when the club were in their lowest moments. The Spaniard has transformed the Gunners this term and they now appear to be frontrunners for the Premier League alongside Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola keen to snatch a third successive title away from his former assistant and make it a fourth in five seasons, as they are favourites to do with Premier League betting.
Surprisingly, the Gunners have remained consistent throughout the second half of the season, having led the chasing pack going into the World Cup. However, their capitulation in the last few games of last season, which ultimately cost them Champions League football this term, shows that the squad could still collapse at any moment. Injuries to star players like Gabriel Jesus could expose the fragility in the squad so Arteta may need to dip into the January transfer window to solidify a title race.
The main target appears to be Mykhailo Mudyrk. The Shakhtar Donetsk winger looks like one of the most promising forwards in Europe, and it’s no surprise the Ukrainians are commanding a £100 million price tag for the 22-year-old, a move that could prove a savvy long-term investment for the Gunners. Arteta has shown he will invest in youth, with Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale hardly ready-made stars when they arrived at the Emirates, and Mudyrk could be another example that joins the conveyor belt of attacking talent in north London.
The fact that Arsenal are even entertaining the conversation of splashing so much on a winger that plays in the Ukrainian league says a lot about his talent. A product of the Shakhtar academy, Mudyrk is an explosive winger, recording some of the fastest sprinting stats in the Champions League group stage, beating the likes of Mohamed Salah and Alphonso Davies, but also has the end product to match.
Having already hit double figures for goals, three in Europe, as well as five assists, he’ll join a productive Arsenal front three in Jesus’s absence, linking up well with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, whilst easing the burden on Eddie Nkeita leading the line by himself at the moment, with Premier League tips suggesting the Gunners may struggle in front of goal.
Mudyrk looks tailor made for the Premier League. His pace suits the physicality of the English top flight and his close control will help Arsenal break through low blocks. The Ukranian is clearly an admirer of the Gunners as well, regularly posting highlights of himself watching them on social media, but the issues lie in negotiating a price tag, with Shaktar keen to keep hold of him for as long as possible, as would director of football Serhiy Palkin.
“Every week, some club appears and starts to feel (where we are). They’re not coming and saying ‘OK, take 50 million and give me Mudryk.’
“They understand the story behind him and they understand that he is quite an expensive player. But they start to feel our club, what our strategy is, what we should do. In any case, the time will arrive. He added: “Definitely, it will arrive a big club and give us €100m.”
“Mudryk is a talent in a process. What he is showing today, it’s just 60 per cent of what he can do in the future. And when you multiply this, you realize that he costs much, much more. Therefore, I we believe that in the future he can cost definitely around €100 million.”
Only time will tell if a deal comes to fruition, either in January or next summer, but Mudyrk is certainly a player worth keeping an eye on for the future.
