Arsenal are currently keeping tabs on one midfield transfer target who may be available at a significant discount this summer.
Arsenal will look to bolster their midfield ranks this summer.
Whilst club captain Martin Odegaard has one of the two No. 8 roles in the Arsenal midfield trio locked down, the No. 8 position on the left-hand side is up for grabs.
Mikel Arteta trialled Kai Havertz in that part of the pitch, before the German established himself as the Gunners’ first choice striker. Declan Rice then impressed in the role, but there is an argument that the former West Ham United man is at his best at the base of the midfield trio.
Meanwhile, neither Emile Smith Rowe or Fabio Vieira have been able to make the position their own. Arteta now has a decision to make between Vieira and Smith Rowe, as there surely isn’t room for both of them in the manager’s plans at the Emirates Stadium next season.
Arsenal keeping tabs on Georgiy Sudakov
Arteta may seek to bring in a more suitable fit for this left-eight role in the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are “monitoring” Georgiy Sudakov. The Shakhtar Donetsk ace has a release clause worth equivalent to £128 million. However, the Ukrainian outfit are thought to be willing to negotiate a deal for the 21-year-old, and could let him leave for a fee of around £68 million.
This would still be a huge fee to pay for the 12-cap Ukraine international, who is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur. A bidding war between the two North London rivals could see the player’s discounted asking price rise back up again.
Who is Arsenal target Georgiy Sudakov?
Sudakov is undeniably talented. He is technically gifted, physically robust, with an eye for goal, and he is also capable of being a real creative force. In 34 appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk this season, across all competitions, Sudakov racked up 10 goals and 6 assists.
However, the standard of the Ukrainian Premier Liga must be taken into account to some extent. Mykhailo Mudryk’s struggles to adapt at Chelsea, having previously been targeted by Arsenal, exemplifies how big the gap in quality is between the Ukrainian top flight and the Premier League.
Even with the discount, it is hard to imagine the Gunners investing such an enormous fee in Sudakov, especially with other areas of the squad in need of investment.