Arsenal lost out on a deal for Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea - and a new report has now claimed that another Premier League club had the opportunity to sign him for a much smaller fee in the summer.
Mudryk has been at the centre of Arsenal's transfer saga this January. Mikel Arteta looked to have a deal wrapped up for the 22-year-old, who posted a series of hints on social media that he would be interested in joining the North London side.
However, a late bid from Chelsea hijacked Arsenal's plans, with the Ukrainian moving to west London instead, for a whopping fee of £87 million in total.
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And to rub salt into the wounds, Arteta could have snapped him up for a fraction of the price, had the club decided to act earlier.
Mudryk nearly joined Brentford for £20 million
Brentford had a deal lined up to sign Mudryk in the summer, with Shakhtar Donetsk willing to see him leave for just £20 million, claim The Mirror.
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Unfortunately for Thomas Frank, the deal fell through, with the Bees unable to reach an agreement with the winger's agents.
Six months on, and Todd Boehly has decided to splash the cash, spending over three times the price on Mudryk.
The Ukrainian international caught the eye of top Premier League clubs after sparkling performances against Real Madrid in the Champions League. A further seven goals and seven assists in the Ukrainian Premier League have added to his appeal.
Blues fans will hope their new signing will be available for their crunch match against Liverpool on Saturday, with both clubs currently level on points, and 10 points adrift of the Champions League places.
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Having missed out on Mudryk's signature this summer, Mikel Arteta has had to look elsewhere, eyeing up Raphinha, Moussa Diaby and Facundo Torres as possible alternatives.
However, one would expect many of their clubs to use the money Chelsea paid for Mudryk as a financial benchmark for business, potentially limiting Arteta's options.
Topics: Mykhailo Mudryk, Arsenal, Chelsea, Brentford, Mikel Arteta, Premier League, Football, Transfers