REUTERS/David Klein
Mikel Arteta has been hugely influential at bringing talent to Arsenal over the years but missed out on one player to Chelsea.
The Gunners boss hasn't just been a success on the touchline in his six-plus years at the Emirates, he's also played a role in negotiations for potential signings. New arrivals often recall phone calls with the Spaniard and how they partly made the move to North London after speaking with him.
Martin Odegaard made as much clear when he joined from Real Madrid back in January 2021, telling club media that Arteta gave him 'a great feeling'. The Norweigan, eventually appointed as captain, said that his coach had been 'crucial'.
How Arsenal and Arteta Missed Out on Mudryk
Mykhaylo Mudryk in action for Chelsea.
Arteta doesn't always get his way and that was the case back in January 2023 when he eyed rising Ukrainian talent Mykhailo Mudryk. He wanted a left-sided winger and the former Shakhtar Donetsk youngster ticked all the boxes.
Mudryk caught the eye during his spell at Shakhtar, even tipped to become a future Ballon d'Or winner by his coach at the time Roberto De Zerbi. His pace and agility were hard to ignore, and the Arsenal boss tried his hardest to win the race for the in-demand attacker.
Arteta spoke to Mudryk and his charm seemed to pay off as the player wanted to play under him. But Chelsea were also keen on signing the Ukranian and eventually, saw off competition from the Gunners to secure his signature.
Mudryk joined the Blues in an £88 million deal including £26m in performance-related add-ons. Shakhtar director of football Darijo Srna has now revealed that a move to Stamford Bridge hadn't been his preference.
Srna took charge of negotiations with Chelsea while the club's general director Serhiy Palkin held talks with Arsenal. He explained (via SunSport): "Misha talked to Arteta. I talked to the Chelsea coach. And, probably, at that moment he liked Arteta more."
The former Croatian international added: "But it is the club that decides whether to sell a player or not. We told him that the club has found a common language with Chelsea."
Noise surrounding Mudryk arriving in the Premier League had grown at the time and the assumption was that he'd end up at the Emirates. But their London rivals came with a more attractive offer which Srna detailed:
Shakhtar Donetsk coach Roberto De Zerbi and director of football Darijo Srna
Shakhtar Donetsk coach Roberto De Zerbi and director of football Darijo Srna
“And then you decide for yourself: do you want to move or not? Either you go to Chelsea, or Arsenal offers the same conditions, or you stay at Shakhtar... From what I know from Serhiy Palkin, he communicated with Arsenal. I was more in contact with Chelsea, but he and the president conducted all this policy. I was just directly inside the process, the Chelsea sporting director and I were in touch."
He added: "Chelsea generally made a much better offer to Shakhtar than Arsenal. We can discuss it, but we cannot accept a worse offer than the one we have."
Mudryk has endured a difficult spell in English football since joining the west Londoners, failing to live up to expectations or the huge price tag. He struggled to gain a regular starting berth and his career took a turn for the worse in December 2024 when he was suspended from football.
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Mudryk (Premier League (2023-24) Statistic
Appearances 31
Starts 18
Minutes Played 1,575
Goals 5
Assists 2
Goal Contributions (G+A) 7
Shots Total 35
Shots on Target 12
Traces of meldonium, a performance-enhancing substance banned by WADA, was found during an out-of-competition doping test in October 2024. He maintained that he didn't purposefully take the prohibited substance, but the FA hit him with a four-year ban in early 2026.
Mudryk appealed this to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and eventually reached an agreement to resolve the appeal. They settled on the period he served out of the game, allowing him to return to competitive football with immediate effect.
Chelsea welcomed him back into their squad for pre-season but there looked to be limited first-team opportunities following Morgan Rogers' arrival. De Zerbi came to his rescue, pushing Tottenham Hotspur to sign his former Shakhtar winger on loan at the end of this summer's transfer window.
Image credit: Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
After debuting for Spurs in a 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest earlier this month, he suffered a nightmare injury in training and is set for weeks on the sidelines. He will almost certainly be back in time for the first North London derby of the season against former admirers Arsenal on December 5th.
'Discipline' - Arteta Reaction to Mudryk Joining Chelsea
Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Arteta tried remaining tight-lipped throughout the course of Arsenal pursuing Mudryk but he broke his silence about the player after Chelsea hijacked the Gunners. He insisted he was happy with the players in his squad at the time while speaking to Sky Sports:
"I’m very proud to have the players that we have. We always want to improve the squad. The club is the first one that is trying to do everything we can to improve the players."
Arteta explained why Arsenal opted not to match Chelsea's offer: "But I think as well we have to have some discipline. We have to be very consistent in the targets that we want but also in what we are able to do in each moment."
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi during a press conference
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi during a press conference
Mudryk may well have regrets over Shakhtar's handling of his career given his desire to join Arteta at Arsenal. He joined a Chelsea side in a transition period under Graham Potter who received the sack just four months after his arrival.