Various reports have confirmed that Mykhaylo Mudryk is Arsenal’s transfer priority this winter, with Gabriel Jesus potentially out for up to three months following successful surgery on his knee.
Mudryk is believed to have been on the Gunners’ radar since the summer when initial enquiries were made, but injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny meant the club's attention turned elsewhere.
However, with the Ukrainian winger continuing to impress for Shakhtar Donetsk, scoring 10 goals and providing eight assists in 18 appearances this season, it seems Mikel Arteta and Edu are determined to get their man.
READ MORE: Arsenal's January midfield transfer in doubt as Edu looks to provide Gabriel Jesus injury cover
The main sticking point appears to be the fee involved, with Shakhtar Donetsk reportedly demanding £85million, although The Athletic claims that figure could eventually come down. Nonetheless, it’s a potential obstacle that could prove problematic for Arsenal and lead to a breakdown in talks.
Of course, the hope will be that a compromise can be reached as discussions continue to take place, but there are two obvious alternatives for the current league leaders should the transfer fail to materialise.
One of which is Villarreal’s Yeremy Pino. Like Mudryk, the Spaniard is someone else who has been on Arsenal’s radar for some time, with Arteta said to ‘love’ the profile of the player. Pino is predominantly a right-ringer but can play on either side and despite being just 20 years of age, he has already racked up 96 senior appearances, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists.
According to Relevo, Villareal expected to receive an offer between £34million – £43million from Arsenal in the summer but it never arrived. Speaking in November, Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said: “He (Pino) is a top talent and he’s represented by Stellar Group which is super strong in the Premier League.
“At the moment there are no advanced talks yet, we will see in 2023; I’m not sure he’s going to leave in January unless a big proposal arrives.”
Meanwhile, another option for Arteta and Co could be Orlando City’s Facundo Torres. Reports surfaced last month which claimed Arsenal were set to hold talks over the 22-year-old winger, who established himself as one of the most promising young talents in MLS last season.
Torres scored nine goals and provided eight assists across 33 league appearances, in addition to a further four goals and two assists in the US Open Cup, a competition he helped his side win.
In an exclusive interview with MLS reporter Tom Bogert, Torres was described to football.london as “an awesome player” who “likes to cut into the half-spaces from the wing and operate where he can get the ball to feet and either dribble, pass or shoot.”
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