Arsenal have been warned by Fabrizio Romano that their pursuit of Mykhaylo Mudryk needs to be completed fast to avoid a scenario where another club snap him up.
The Gunners’ priority is head and shoulders above any other target pursued in north London following their rejected bid in recent days.
And Romano has claimed that Arsenal’s pursuit of Mudryk needs to be concluded soon or they risk ending up like Manchester United, who saw the services of Cody Gakpo snatched from under their noses by rivals Liverpool.
Earlier this week, a very public first offer for Mudryk – believed to be around £55m – was rejected by Shakhtar Donetsk, with an asking price of £85m a figure the Gunners are unlikely to match.
This led to a warning from Romano, as deals can move so fast, that Mikel Arteta’s side should be wary of someone else swooping in.
Speaking on House of Champions, he said: “I would keep my eye on this Mudryk situation.
“The timing in the January window is really important – we saw that with Cody Gakpo.
“Arsenal know how important it is to be fast on the Mudryk deal. They are in negotiations with Shakhtar, they’ve done now the opening proposal, but there is still direct conversation between Shakhtar and Arsenal.
“So I think this is one to watch in the next few days because Arsenal have to be fast for Mudryk.”
TIF Thoughts on Romano’s comments…
Arsenal’s pursuit of Mudryk seems a be-all or end-all, with the winger thought to be at the forefront of the club’s meticulous January window plans.
With no other alternative of similar importance to the Ukrainian, the Gunners can’t afford to be left in a position that United found themselves in with Gakpo, as Liverpool wrapped up a £45m deal within the space of 48 hours.
With surely even the most optimistic Arsenal fan shocked at their current position in the Premier League, the club can’t be left disappointed in the transfer window, with this deal potentially the biggest in the club’s recent history as Arteta seeks to guide his side to the title.