Arsenal could finally get their revenge on Chelsea after missing out on Mykhailo Mudryk. The 23-year-old winger was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium ahead of last year’s January transfer window before the Blues hijacked a deal at the eleventh hour.
football.london understands that talks between Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk were thought to have been progressing well, with Edu once confident of securing Mudryk’s signature. Hopeful of completing a deal, the north Londoners remained in contact with the Ukrainian side.
But, then Chelsea swooped in and made a late bid worth around £62m (€70m), plus £26m (€30m) in add-ons. Just hours later, Mudryk was unveiled to supporters at Stamford Bridge with a Ukraine flag draped around his shoulders.
Fast-forward almost 18 months, Arteta appears eager to finally exact his revenge on the west Londoners. According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have ‘made a proposal’ to sign Ryan McAidoo from Chelsea, and it’s said that they’re leading the race for his signature.
The report states that the Blues youngster is ‘expected to leave’ Stamford Bridge this summer. Following his impressive performances for the Chelsea Under-18s, McAidoo earned a call-up to the England Under-17s in March.
He enjoyed a pair of cameo appearances off the bench in wins against Northern Ireland and Hungary in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification. Arteta’s plan to sign McAidoo comes shortly after Benjamin Sesko snubbed Arsenal.
The 21-year-old striker was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium following his impressive performances for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. But, instead of joining the Gunners, he opted to stay in the German top flight and sign a new contract which keeps him at the club until June 2029.
Speaking to the Leipzig website, Sesko said: “I had a good first year at RB Leipzig and am incredibly happy to be here. Team, club, city, fans – the overall package is simply outstanding for me. The early contract extension was therefore the logical next step for me.
“Even though I didn’t play or score as much in the first half of the season, this phase was very important for me and my development. I feel a lot of trust and appreciation throughout the club and that is crucial for being able to perform to my full potential.
“In the second half of the season in particular, I was able to give something back with my goals. We have a team with great potential and a balanced mix of young and experienced players. I’m really looking forward to taking the next steps with this team.
“We’ve already achieved a lot in my first season and often shown the amount of quality and outstanding football we can bring to the pitch. But there’s still a lot more to be done and that’s now our common goal.”
