Arsenal have reportedly compiled a five-man wishlist after Premier League rivals Chelsea hijacked their stunning move for Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Mudryk was heavily linked with the Gunners and seemed all but certain to be heading to the north London club before a late swoop from Chelsea.
The Blues beat Arsenal in the race to sign him by tabling an offer of £89m to Shakhtar, with the winger signing a whopping eight-and-a-half-year deal.
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Mudryk’s transfer to Stamford Bridge was a huge blow for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who is keen to secure another forward option for the remainder of the season.
According to 90min, Arsenal have now set their sights elsewhere after missing out on the 22-year-old Mudryk and have five potential transfer targets on their radar.
The publication reports that Arsenal sporting director Edu has ‘reached out’ to Barcelona in his hunt for a viable alternative to Mudryk.
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Ferran Torres and Raphinha were two names ‘discussed’ by Arsenal, with 90min adding the Gunners held ‘exploratory talks over a number of possible alternatives.’
Raphinha, who was linked with Arsenal last summer, snubbed a move to the Gunners and signed for Barcelona in a stunning £55m move.
However, the 26-year-old Brazilian winger has only managed to score three times and registered five assists in 23 appearances for Barcelona this season.
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Torres, much like Raphinha, has failed to make a major impact at Barcelona since his sensational £55.2m move from Manchester City.
Barcelona are keen to offload surplus players from the club in a bid to free up wages and sign new players amid the Spanish club’s well-known financial struggles.
It is believed that Arsenal have enquired about the availability of Torres or Raphinha ahead of the January transfer window closing.
Brighton winger Leandro Trossard is believed to be another potential target for the Gunners after expressing his desire to leave the Premier League club.
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Trossard’s Brighton teammate Kaoru Mitoma has attracted interest from Arsenal as well, but the Gunners face a tougher test in prying him away from the Seagulls.
READ MORE:
- Arsenal missed out on cut-price Mykhailo Mudryk deal prior to Chelsea move
- How Chelsea managed to stay within financial fair play rules, despite huge Mykhailo Mudryk deal
- Mykhailo Mudryk already matched Diego Maradona’s special feat, not even Lionel Messi achieved it
Finally, a costly alternative for Arsenal would be Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is under contract with the Serie A side until 2027.
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However, Napoli are expected to play hardball over the 21-year-old Georgia international’s future and could slap a transfer fee in excess of £100m.
Topics: Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Mykhailo Mudryk, Arsenal, Premier League, England, Football
Adnan Riaz