Arsenal legend David Seaman reckons that missing out on Mykhaylo Mudryk will prove to be a blessing in disguise.
The Gunners spent much of the winter pursuing the 22-year-old Ukrainian wonderkid, who wanted to make the move to the Emirates. But when Arsenal refused to meet Shakhtar Donetsk 's lofty demands, London rivals Chelsea gazumped them with a whopping £87million offer which met the tall asking price.
Mudryk decided to join Chelsea and put pen to paper on a mammoth eight-and-a-half-year contract, leaving the Gunners high and dry. But Mikel Arteta and co shouldn't be too disappointed, according to Seaman, who claims that the Ukraine international only went for the money and is "quite happy" he moved to Stamford Bridge
Speaking after Mudryk's promising first appearance for Chelsea as substitute in Saturday's dour 0-0 draw with Liverpool, the former Arsenal goalkeeper explained on his Seaman Says podcast : "When he came on he looked really good I was really impressed with a lot of his control, the way he was going past defenders, the little passes that he saw.
"I was thinking he looked special and I thought I would've liked him at Arsenal if I'm honest. He's gone for the money! You would think that [Gabriel] Martinelli would be the one because when he came on against Liverpool he was on the left so would it be for Martinelli or as another striker.
"I'm quite happy he didn't he would've upset the squad, I'm sure it would. We can't compare with people like Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and even Man United on the financial side of deals. If we do something really special this year that puts us back up there."
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Seaman's verdict was echoed by ex-Gunners team-mate Ian Wright, who admitted the financial implications of the deal were too dangerous to ignore.
"With Mudryk, I was very excited about that. With the money it started to get into the realm where it could knock us off our axis in terms of what we're trying to do," Wright told the Arsecast podcast. "He looks like the kind of guy that would fit into our group. I was a bit disappointed but not disappointed that Arsenal went 'that's fine."
When asked about missing out on Mudryk's signature in the wake of the announcement nearly a fortnight ago, Arsenal manager Arteta replied with predictable response. "I am very proud to have the players we have," the Gunners boss affirmed to Sky Sports. "We always want to try to improve the squad. The club are the first to try and improve the players we have.
"We have to have some discipline and be consistent in the targets we have. We can make the players better - let's focus on that. We had some injuries, long-term injuries and it's not helpful but we can focus on tomorrow. Train better, train better and review the game. We will try to improve the team. There are always a few parties involved. The club are willing and they have my support and I have their support."
