Arsenal are willing to walk away from any deal involving Mykhaylo Mudryk should his price become too inflated.
The Gunners are hoping to bolster their ranks in the January transfer window and have identified the Ukrainian as a target. Shakhtar Donetsk have shown a willingness to sell for the right price and negotiations have been ongoing regarding a move to north London.
In a dramatic twist, Chelsea entered the race and are aiming to trump Arsenal financially as they look to kickstart their own campaign. The Blues have spent big since Todd Boehly took over and Shakhtar will be more than happy if a bidding war begins.
However, Arsenal have learned their lesson and the Daily Telegraph reports that they would rather walk away than capture their target for too lofty a price. The Gunners have seen how spending huge sums - including a club-record £72million on Nicolas Pepe - does not always guarantee a move works out.
Instead, their focus may shift to Joao Felix, who could leave Atletico Madrid this month, albeit on loan. The Portuguese star would add more firepower to Mikel Arteta's squad, with Gabriel Jesus sidelined for several months after undergoing surgery on an injury sustained at the World Cup.
Arsenal sporting director Edu is looking to prioritise the club's long-term stability, so will be reluctant to make rash decisions this month. The club opted not to spend big on a forward this time last year, when they were linked with the likes of Dusan Vlahovic after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure.
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The Premier League leaders are looking to bring in fresh faces to aid their title push. Manchester City have cut the gap to five points and Arsenal know they need to add more depth and quality to their squad if they are to last the course this season.
Arteta has said on their January plans: “We are going to be active and active means we are looking to strengthen the team. This squad still doesn’t have the luxury of not maximising every single window. We have to do that because it’s really important.
“But then we have to get the right profile, it has to be the right player to take us to the next level. We will be in the market always active and we will assess the biggest opportunities that we have. You know there are a lot of teams with new coaches and new owners that are going to probably get again this window into a position that is never seen or experienced before, but we know that and we have to be active on it.”
