Mykhaylo Mudryk to Chelsea: Where do Arsenal go now in their winger pursuit?

Chelsea’s threat was ominous, but confidence within the Gunners camp remained right up until David Ornstein’s Saturday evening bombshell.

Mykhaylo Mudryk has long been identified by Arsenal as their priority transfer target this winter. The Premier League title is a genuine possibility for Mikel Arteta’s side this season, but attacking reinforcements are necessary if they’re to sustain their challenge once the Europa League knockouts roll around in February and the schedule condenses once more.

Emile Smith Rowe’s return is a timely one, and it could offer Gabriel Martinelli some respite down the stretch, but poor Bukayo Saka, eh? The club’s starboy racked up an extortionate 6,965 minutes throughout the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, and he’s already notched 1,780 minutes this term.

The kid needs a breather at some point. We saw how drastically the pair faded down the stretch last season and given how big an opportunity this is for Arsenal, winning the league title that is, they can ill afford their star wingers to drop off in crunch time.

Mykhaylo Mudryk to Chelsea: Where do Arsenal go now in their winger pursuit?

An extra attacking option must arrive before the start of February, whether they prefer playing off the left or right, and for so long it appeared Mudryk would be that guy. The 22-year-old has been dreaming of a move to the Emirates, and while Shakhtar were proving stubborn in their valuation of the player, it seemed inevitable that a compromise would be reached given the player’s desire.

But that pesky Todd Boehly has come in and thrown Arsenal’s January plan into disarray. Chelsea’s move for Mudryk is close to completion after personal terms and a €100m deal were agreed. He’s off to Stamford Bridge.

I completely understand why Edu wasn’t keen on joining the Blues in a bidding war, and supporters shouldn’t criticise the Brazilian for failing to land Mudryk this winter. While the 22-year-old was supposedly the club’s priority, Shakhtar’s asking price was extortionate for a player with such little experience at the highest level.

So, where do Arsenal turn now?

There are options for the Gunners, including summer target Raphinha who has reportedly been made available for transfer by Barcelona this month. Ferran Torres is another possibility, while Yeremi Pino was tenuously linked in the summer.

Our Twitter following are big admirers of Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, and Arteta caught a glimpse of the Japanese international’s brilliance first-hand on New Year’s Eve. Mitoma’s teammate, Leandro Trossard, is destined to leave the Seagulls this month, but he doesn’t fit the age profile of an Arteta signing.

More optimistic shouts include Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry of Bayern Munich, while Serie A stars Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Rafael Leao have also been mentioned by fans but those deals will be borderline impossible to pull off this month.

I have no doubt that Edu has a Plan B, but what path he goes down is anyone’s guess.

The situation is somewhat similar to the striker void last January. The Gunners opted against bringing in a centre-forward last winter in favour of signing Gabriel Jesus in the summer, but it cost them in the short term as a top-four spot slipped from their grasp. Should the club return to the Champions League next season, adding a player of Leao or Sane’s calibre may be possible at the end of the campaign. But, there’s a feeling that the club has to act now given the opportunity that has presented itself.