Arteta: Arsenal beating Chelsea for Mudryk would have ‘damaged’ Arsenal

Arteta: Arsenal beating Chelsea for Mudryk would have ‘damaged’ Arsenal

Mikel Arteta has hinted that Arsenal would “damage” themselves if he paid the money to bring Mykhailo Mudryk to the club in January before moving on to Chelsea.
The Gunners were considered the pole position to sign Mudryk for most of the season but their transfer was hijacked by Chelsea, who offered Shakhtar a more attractive package and brought the Ukrainian to Stamford Bridge under the nose of the arsenal.

Both clubs were reportedly offering up to €100m for Mudryk, but Shakhtar opted for Chelsea’s offer, which would have offered both upfront and more attractive additions.
Arsenal have also lost Moises Caicedo after Brighton rejected his £70m offer, but Arteta was unfazed by his failure to bring home his best goals, insisting the club spend when they’re it made sense.”

“If it’s needed for the right player profile and we can afford it, it will make sense,” Arteta told ESPN. “But only if it’s the right profile, the right price and if we can afford it without hurting ourselves.
“It’s a really, really fine line and I think we have to be very disciplined.”

Arsenal’s pragmatism pays off in the long run

Arsenal have been vindicated in their long-term thinking for the club after also missing out on their key targets last January when Dusan Vlahovic opted to join Juventus instead of the Gunners.

The Premier League side opted against signing an alternative, instead waiting for the summer to sign Gabriel Jesus, a player who revolutionized Arteta’s attack before suffering a World Cup injury.

With Arsenal pushing for the title this season, the league leaders still signed Leandro Trossard and Jorginho in January, although their main options went elsewhere, but the deals offered good value for the club.

Mudryk has yet to justify his huge Chelsea outlay and only scored his first goal contribution in his seventh game, suggesting Arsenal might have been justified in moving for Trossard rather than going the extra mile to get the 22-year-old given the need to undertake immediate effect. Arsenal will continue to spend big this summer and the midfielder is seen as a priority with another hunt for Caicedo expected as well as a move for West Ham’s Declan Rice.

Do you think Arteta was being realistic saying that or he was just trying to down play not signing mudryk at the moment? Leave your comments…