Arsenal may reignite their interest in Mykhaylo Mudryk, the Chelsea winger they narrowly missed out on in a high-profile transfer battle.
Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta will be in search of attacking reinforcements in the January window as well as next summer as they continue to develop the squad. Having finished runners-up behind Manchester City in the Premier League for two successive seasons, the Gunners will look to bolster their ranks and emerge victorious down the line.
To that tune, the club has looked at various options to play centrally as well as on the flanks. While Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko remain top targets for the central role, the likes of Nico Williams and Mykhaylo Mudryk are the names brought up for the wide roles. Arsenal have history with the latter as they were linked with the Ukrainian before he eventually joined Chelsea.
Now, the question is whether the Gunners should go back in and get the player they so badly wanted in the past. When Mudryk joined Chelsea, the energy around the Emirates Stadium was that they had lost out in a transfer battle. So, should they revisit the move?
Could Mykhaylo Mudryk still do well at Arsenal?
Shakhtar Donetsk did well to hold on to their former player and asked for well in excess of £100 million for him. However, the Blues signed Mudryk for a total of £99 million and beat Arsenal in the race to sign the Ukrainian.
Nearly two years since the move, the 23-year-old winger has made 72 appearances for Chelsea, scoring just nine goals and providing nine assists across competitions. In contrast, he racked up 12 goals and 17 assists in just 44 appearances for Shakhtar in his time with the club.
Despite his output halving in double the games, it does make sense for the Gunners to try their hand at a possible move. The club and its fans have already witnessed how confidence helped players like Granit Xhaka and Kai Havertz, so making a move for Mudryk and changing his environment could be a risk worth taking.
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Aged just 23, the player still has lots to offer, and he could reach his true potential with a manager and in an environment better suited to him.
