Former Shakhtar Donetsk coach Andres Carrasco has warned Mykhailo Mudryk that he could have made a mistake by joining Chelsea instead of Arsenal. The 22-year-old was heavily linked with a move to the Gunners ahead of the January transfer window, only for the Blues to swoop in and hijack the deal.
football.london understands that talks between the Gunners and Shakhtar Donetsk were thought to have been progressing well. Arsenal remained in contact with the Ukrainian side and there was confidence that they were going to sign Mudryk.
But, then Chelsea pounced with an offer of their own tabling a bid of €70million (£62million) plus €30million (£26million) worth of add-ons, which was later revealed to be a better structured deal. Just hours later, the Ukraine international was unveiled to Blues fans and paraded around Stamford Bridge at half-time of the clash with Crystal Palace.
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Speaking to UA Tribuna, Carrasco claimed that only time will tell if his decision to join Chelsea was right or not. The former Shakhtar Under-19s boss said: "This is a club that has been changing recently.
"But it is good for Mudryk to be in a club that always expects maximum results. Now he needs to go through a period of adaptation.
"And only time will tell if it was the right decision for him or not." Carrasco coached Mudryk at Shakhtar; the winger featured 10 times under the Spaniard in the UEFA Youth league for the Under-19s side.
"Today, Arsenal, with its style of play, could be more suitable for Mudryk, who successfully uses dribbling and plays one-on-one. It would be better for him, in my opinion."
Carrasco kickstarted his coaching career at Barcelona, working in the famous 'La Masia' youth setup. The 44-year-old was then named academy manager in 2010 before taking up a similar role at Malaga a few years later.
Mikel Arteta will have been disappointed to miss out on the signing of Mudryk but, following the arrival of Leandro Trossard, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal made the correct decision. The Brighton star has arrived at London Colney in a great vein of form, offering the Gunners an instant impact.
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