Mikel Arteta has reportedly spoken to Mykhaylo Mudryk about joining Arsenal this month, with the Gunners making a new and improved bid for the Shakhtar Donetsk attacker this week.
According to Ukrainian publication SportAnalytic, the Arsenal manager has held talks directly with Mudryk in an attempt to persuade the attacker to join Arsenal, with the 21-year-old the north London side’s number one target and a player the Premier League leaders have been chasing for a while.
As reported by the Guardian, Arsenal have this week made an improved bid having had an opening offer rejected last week for the attacker, with Shakhtar demanding as much as £85m for their superstar prospect, though it is expected that the forward will be sold for a much lower fee.
Mudryk is widely considered one of the most exciting attacking prospects in all of Europe, and Arsenal’s push to sign the winger is an encouraging sign that the north London side are looking to invest this January as the Gunners currently sit top of the Premier League table.

As well as Mudryk, it is believed that Arsenal are also looking into signing a central midfielder, though it is clear already that the Shakhtar sensation is the player Arteta wants to get over the line as quickly as possible, with the winger now subject to two bids from the English giants.
Indeed, more firepower in the attack could be instrumental in Arsenal winning an unprecedented Premier League title. And Arteta’s decision to now speak to Mudryk personally could greatly swing the transfer battle in the Gunners’ favour in the days to come.
Mudryk could now soon join Arsenal after Arteta talks

It’s an open secret at this point that Arsenal want Mudryk and Mudryk wants Arsenal, and Arteta’s move to actually speak to the player could be the catalyst that shifts the war completely in the north London side’s favour, with the winger seemingly on the verge of moving to England.
After all, Mudryk himself has left enough cryptic clues in the past few weeks about his intention to sign for Arsenal, and this latest move from the club as well as the new and improved bid could be what’s needed to tip the balance in completing a deal.
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