The January transfer window has been a rollercoaster for Arsenal, to say the least.
The Gunners were heavily linked with Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk and there was confidence as recently as Friday that a deal could be done between the north Londoners and Shakhtar Donetsk. However, Premier League rivals Chelsea gazumped Arsenal's offer before signing the 22-year-old to a whopping eight-and-a-half-year contract on Sunday.
That leaves technical director Edu with 15 days to come up with an alternative attacker to strengthen Mikel Arteta's squad before the window slams shut. One name that has been mooted is Barcelona winger Raphinha, who Arsenal wanted to sign in the summer before the Brazilian chose to join the Blaugrana instead.
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According to Sky Sports, the Gunners are monitoring the 26-year-old's situation at the Nou Camp but the player himself has now indicated that he sees his future with the Catalan club. Speaking after Barcelona beat Real Madrid in Sunday's Super Cup final, he said: "This is my first trophy with this giant club, this enormous shirt of FC Barcelona - it’s incredible.
“And so now we go for more trophies.” It is hard to imagine any winger coming in and displacing either Gabriel Martinelli or Bukayo Saka in Arsenal's current set-up.
The two youngsters have been crucial for Mikel Arteta's men this season, scoring a combined 14 goals and providing a further nine assists across all competitions. That kind of form has helped Arsenal to first place in the current Premier League standings, with Sunday's 2-0 victory over local rivals Tottenham Hotspur helping them create an eight-point gap over second-placed Manchester City.
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