Football feature: Mykhalo Mudryk - the rising star Arsenal may have missed out on after a failed summer bid

However, if it was up to the club’s hierarchy, they could have signed another player who has made waves this season – Ukraine’s Mykhalo Mudryk. 

The Gunners did push to sign him in the summer, but a lack of funds – mainly due to the amount of investment needed in other areas of the squad – meant they chose not to sign him. 

But is there a chance they may now be outpriced of a move for the talented Ukrainian? Well, that depends entirely on how Arsenal does this season. 

It’s worth noting that Mudryk currently plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, a club that is very much in the Champions League. Arsenal, it is worth noting, is very much not in Europe’s top competition. 

The Ukrainian league is also less high-profile, meaning it is suitable for developing a young player – they will get plenty of game time in such circumstances. 

So, in many ways, Mudryk might not want to leave a top Ukrainian club where he gets Champions League football for one where he will have to be playing the Europa League. 

Throw in the fact that Arsenal was unable to meet Shakhtar’s demands and that other clubs might be able to, and it does seem like the Gunners might have missed the boat on this player. 

But, as mentioned before, their chances of landing Mudryk will improve drastically should they finish in the top 4 of the Premier League this season. 

And they currently sit first in the league, meaning they not only qualify for the Champions League but end a league title drought spanning nearly two decades. 

However, it won’t be as easy as Arsenal doing well in the league – mainly because Mudryk’s exploits in the Champions League have caught the eyes of all of Europe’s major clubs. 

In four Champions League games this season, he’s racked up two goals and two assists. That equates to one goal involvement per match, and his excellent form means Shakhtar remain in contention for a spot in the knockouts. 

He scored a goal and notched five assists in the Premier Liga, Ukraine’s top domestic football league. 

But he will outgrow the confines of the Ukrainian football scene in due course. That league is a feeder league because many players come to the league and leave for big money to join the top clubs in Europe. 

It seems likely that Mudryk will likely take a similar path – but whether that path leads him to North London remains to be seen. 

As things stand, he is one of the hottest young prospects in world football, and any top club would be keen to sign him. 

This means that if Arsenal wants to try and sign him again, he will likely cost them more than what he would have this summer.