News of Arsenal’s interest in Ukrainian starlet Mykhailo Mudryk first began to circulate in the summer but it seems other business took priority as the Gunners made several additions to the first-team squad.
Fast-forward six months and Arsenal seem to have returned to the negotiating table – only this time with serious intent. But they’re not the only ones interested in acquiring the talented youngster, with reports suggesting that Manchester City and newly cash-rich Newcastle have approached Shakhtar Donestk.
Now, when it comes to pure financial firepower, Arsenal have shown themselves to be no pushovers but the might of Manchester and, now, Newcastle – both with the backing of nation states – puts us at a disadvantage, as the pursuit of Bruno Guimares last year and Raphina this year has shown.
And, with Shakhtar said to be holding out for in excess of £80million for their star man, do we face being priced out of the game by the chequebook clubs?
Quite possibly, simply because we can’t go as high as City or Newcastle and, with a selling club that holds all the cards, the numbers can go as high as they care to pitch them.
Arsenal’s advantage, if there is one, is in the strength of their intent. Mikel Arteta and Edu have clearly been tracking Mudryk for some time and there’s no doubting the youngster will have been made aware of their interest. That would have built trust.
Heads can so easily be turned by bags of cash, of course, but moving fast and moving decisively can often be advantageous.
Even if Mudryk ultimately has loftier ambitions for his career, there can have been no harm in Arsenal expressing their interest so early and ensuring they were among the first to make contact.
Ultimately, money will talk, particularly in the case of one so talented, but Arsenal have put themselves in a good position if an agreement can be reached with Shakhtar.
It’s also worth noting that sitting top of the Premier League, with an impressive young manager and squad packed with talent, does no harm to the strength of Arsenal’s hand in these negotiations. No player can fail to be impressed with what they might have seen at the Emirates in this first half of the campaign.
You can’t build a career on good vibes, for sure, but ours is a club on the rise and good prospect in the short to medium term. We are building something and the foundations are strong. That will appeal.
Mudryk looks to be a supremely talented young man and could make our emerging side a genuine force to be reckoned with in the second half of this season and beyond. It may not be enough to secure us a title win this year but adding such serious quality to the squad certainly can’t hurt our chances.
We have shown ourselves to be canny operators in the transfer market over the last two years and, although we haven’t secured all of the signing we might have liked, our record is a good one. Ultimately, Shakhtar may prefer to do business with the money men at Newcastle or City but, by moving quickly, we have put ourselves in a good position.
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