Thanks Chelsea! Why Arsenal have no regrets over failed transfer

28 Jul 2024 16:00 BST
3 min read

Mykhailo Mudryk, Arsenal, Chelsea, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Arsenal have Mykhailo Mudryk to thank for the signing of one of their star players after it was revealed the impact the Chelsea winger had on the Gunners’ transfer plans.

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It had been anticipated that Mudryk would join Arsenal in January 2023, with the Gunners having chased the 23-year-old for months, however Chelsea hijacked the deal and sealed a last-minute €70 million transfer.

Chelsea’s move blindsided Arsenal, who were then forced to reassess their plans, leading to a €24 million move for Brighton’s Leandro Trossard, in which Mikel Arteta’s side have never looked back.

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Trossard has since scored 13 Premier League goals for Arsenal, while Mudryk has just five for Chelsee, and the 29-year-old revealed that things just instantly ‘clicked’ for him at the Emirates.

“I didn’t think about what was going on before me,” Trossard said. “They (Arsenal) made it very clear to me that they wanted me after the thing with Mudryk and I was happy to join.

“I had a good chat with Mikel. He gave me the plan about how it would go, and it just started to click straight away.”

© IMAGO - Leandro Trossard has been a revelation since joining Arsenal.

The polarising fortunes of Arsenal and Chelsea after Mudryk transfer

Arsenal will have no regrets on how the Mudryk saga has developed for them, having seen Trossard play a pivotal role in the club’s title surges over the past two seasons.

Mudryk, meanwhile, has yet to find his feet for Chelsea and still has some ways to progress before coming close to justifying his big money pricetag.

Compared

VS

2023/2024

Season Statistics

2023/2024

41	Appearances	46
7	Goals	17
2	Assists	2
40	Key Passes	34
2045	Minutes Played	2292
592	Passes	786
44	Shots Total	69
12	Interceptions	12
26	Tackles	29

While Chelsea are optimistic the Ukraine international will eventually fulfil his potential, the Blues are also reportedly in the market for another right-footed left winger to provide the consistency lacking from Mudryk and Raheem Sterling.

With Trossard costing close to a quarter of Mudryk’s transfer and the Belgian providing nearly four times the amount of goal contributions across all competitions, there is no doubt Arsenal’s failure to sign their initial target has proven to be a blessing in disguise.

Mudryk’s status as a high-cost import with seven years still remaining on his contract means that Chelsea are under pressure to ensure their mercurial forward has a breakout season or risk being the poster child for their reckless spending under Todd Boehly.