Summer transfer target Mykhaylo Mudryk has opened the door to a future move to Arsenal after the Gunners failed to sign the Ukrainian international in the recently closed window.
Arsenal were in the market for a winger this summer, especially after the club allowed Nicolas Pepe to depart on loan to Nice. Leeds’ Raphinha was heavily pursued early in the window before the Brazilian opted to join Barcelona, while Wolves’ Pedro Neto emerged as another option later on.
Another name that popped up in transfer rumour mills was Shakhtar Donetsk hotshot Mudryk, who also garnered interest from Everton and Brentford. And while a move for the young winger never materialised, Arsenal have since received a ‘come get me plea’ from the player himself.
Arsenal summer transfer target opens the door to a future move
“Arsenal is a very good team. From my side I can’t say no…” 👀
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 8, 2022
Shakhtar winger Mykhaylo Mudryk says he’s open to an Arsenal move in January and sets the record straight on his nickname 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/vWv652D0yO
Speaking in an interview with CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs this week, Mudryk said that he wouldn’t say no to the Gunners if they came calling in January.
“I think every guy dreams about the Premier League. It’s hard to say [who I’d like to play for] but Arsenal is a very good team, very good coach, I like the way they play,” he said.
“From my side, I can’t say no [to Arsenal]. But the transfer is not only my decision.”
Shakhtar’s asking price reportedly deterred the club from making a late move as they prioritised a deal for another midfielder following injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny. However, the Gunners were unable to prise Douglas Luiz away from Aston Villa.
Many felt that Arsenal had sold themselves short in wide areas for the 2022/23 season, but Marquinhos’ stellar debut in the Europa League on Thursday night eased those fears. The Brazilian, who was signed from Sao Paulo in the summer for pennies, scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over FC Zurich as he showed that he’s capable of providing cover for Bukayo Saka in Premier League outings.
Mykhailo Mudryk vs. RB Leipzig:
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 6, 2022
2 key passes
2 assists
1 shot on target
1 goal
Big performance from a future star. 💫 pic.twitter.com/gwCcOrni4D
Nevertheless, Mudryk isn’t a talent Arsenal will want to pass up on if the opportunity to sign him arises in January. This kid is electric, and he tore RB Leipzig apart on the counter in the week as Shakhtar ended the Domenico Tedesco era in Saxony with a thumping 4-1 win.
This will be one to keep an eye on once January rolls around.