Arsenal report: 'The next Kylian Mbappe' wants Emirates move in January
Arsenal have been linked with 'the next Kylian Mbappe', with the player himself confirming an interest in moving to north London
Arsenal have received a "come get me" plea from 'the next Kylian Mbappe'.
The Gunners were looking to add a winger late in their transfer window, with the likes of Pedro Neto and Yeremy Pino coming up on their radar. Mikel Arteta's side failed the invest in that depth, however, with a January move for a wide man now looking more likely.
New signing Marquinhos scored last night on his first start in Arsenal colours, netting in the first half against Zurich in the Champions League. It seems as if Arteta could be set to sign another European star, however – if he has anything to do with it.
Shakhtar Donetsk winger, Mykhaylo Mudryk, emerged as a target late in the transfer window for the Gunners, only for the north Londoners to prioritise a move for a midfielder – which also didn't come off. But with squad depth an issue for the Gunners, they could go back in for the Ukrainian, who has been compared to Kylian Mbappe.
"I think every guy dreams about the Premier League. It's hard to say [who I'd like to play for] but Arsenal is a very good team, very good coach, I like the way they play, Mudryk himself told Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports this week.
"From my side, I can't say no [to Arsenal]. But the transfer is not only my decision."
The 21-year-old – like Marquinhos – scored in Europe this week, netting in Shakhtar's Champions League opener against RB Leipzig. He's fast becoming hot property, with some at his own club comparing him to Europe's elite.
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"For me, Mudryk is the best player in Europe in this position after [Kylian] Mbappe and Vinicius Junior," Shakhtar director Darijo Srna told HITC. "After Mbappe and Vinicius, I don’t see a third player other than Mudryk in this position in Europe. Mudryk has crazy potential.”
The wonderkid is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt.
More Arsenal stories
Arsenal were looking for a “mystery winger” to complete their squad, while a midfielder was also been touted.
After Nicolas Pepe left the Gunners for more minutes on loan at Nice, manager Mikel Arteta declared a desire to “add firepower”, though he could not guarantee a new player will come in. The Gunners still have interest in Pedro Neto, as well as a Ukrainian wonderkid.
Mohamed Elneny’s injury means that midfield is a little weak right now. FFT reported months ago that personal terms with Youri Tielemans were agreed, with the north Londoners just needing to agree a fee with Leicester: one obstacle remained on Deadline Day. In other news, Bukayo Saka has hinted that he’s close to extending his contract.
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.