Arsenal Running Huge Risk With Potential Andriy Yarmolenko Transfer

Arsenal may be adept at finding obscure talent for cheap but, while Ukranian Andriy Yarmolenko is mildly obscure, he is not cheap – therefore he is a major risk.

When an unlikely transfer rumor wilts and dies, it becomes like fuel for the earth. From that fuel, a brand new unlikely transfer rumor emerges and blooms into a rather obnoxiously colored flower before it, in turn, wilts and dies. So on and so forth. It’s the circle of life.

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As the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rumors are laid to rest, its fuel is becoming a brand new rumor. This one has its own charade of ‘ties’ linking someone to Arsenal, with just as many laughable detractors. The man that is blooming onto the transfer radar is Chelsea target Andriy Yarmolenko.

The Ukranian winger has spent his entire life in the Ukraine Premier League, which, pardon my brashness, is no sort of competition to weigh oneself in. He has a decent enough track record in European competitions. In the Europa League at least. Yarmolenko has scored eight goals and added seven assists in 20 appearances in the Europa League. His Champions League return is rather paltry – three goals and two assists in 16 appearances (stats via WhoScored). 

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However, in the ‘what have you done for me lately’ category, Yarmolenko’s last two European campaigns are pretty solid. He scored two goals in five appearances in the Champions League and four goals and seven assists in 11 appearances the year before that in the Europa League.

Alright, so he has enough to make thing interesting. At the very least we know that he is perhaps worth a gamble in a more competitive environment. Arsenal is known for scouring every corner of the globe for talent, and Yarmolenko has talent. A lot of it. So perhaps he is worth a gander.

That is, until the price tag of Yarmolenko revealed that £20m is what is required to snatch the man away from Dynamo Kyiv, with another £10m or so in add-ons likely to follow.

Yarmolenko may be the third coolest thing to come out of Ukraine behind the Cossacks and solar energy, but that does not justify the massive price tag.

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It is the same argument I used to bash the potential purchase of Jackson Martinez. When Arsenal was tied to him, he was 29 years old and had yet to make an appearance in the five major divisions. Now he is at Atletico Madrid and, lo and behold, the goals have suddenly dried up.

Yarmolenko is 26 and he has not been outside of Ukraine. It is a dark and scary world out there, with Puyol’s and Wanyama’s that don’t care about your well-being.

For the right price, Yarmolenko could be a great fit for Arsenal. He has a winner’s attitude, that is for sure. The problem is that he plays predominantly on the right side. Arsenal has granted that spot to Joel Campbell, who has had to prove himself out the wazoo to get the role.

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The only thing Arsenal would need a winger for is to reinforce Alexis Sanchez because Wenger will continue to use Walcott and the Ox in rotation at the wings. Walcott has been learning the left wing, but he has yet to find any traction there.

When the price tag is cut in half, give Arsenal a call. Until then, give Manchester United a call. They need somebody. Anybody.