After failing in a late move for Shakhtar Donetsk Mykhaylo Mudryk in the summer transfer window, Arsenal could reignite their interest in the Ukrainian forward in January.
Since Emile Smith Rowe's injury which has kept him out of action for most of this season, Arsenal have been short of options on either wing, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka both being overworked with no backup options. A deal for Mudryk to move to the Gunners fell through in the summer, but the winger dubbed the 'Ukrainian Neymar' could leave Shakhtar Donetsk as early as January.
With the likes of Real Madrid, Roma and a few fellow Premier League clubs also showing interest in the 21-year-old, Arsenal side could face some competition for his signature. But, with the Arsenal board prepared to back Mikel Arteta in the upcoming transfer window, a move for the Ukrainian could be on the cards.
READ MORE: Edu can seal three-year Arsenal transfer mission with £35m Wilfried Zaha deal amid agent talks
So, could Mykhaylo Mudryk make a big impact at the Gunners? We simulated the rest of the season with the forward in the squad to try and find out.
Arsenal's 2022/23 season simulated with Mykhaylo Mudryk
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Mykhaylo Mudryk to join Arsenal on January 1, 2022, using FM22 to run the simulation. We then simulated the remainder of the 2022/23 season to judge how the impact the Ukrainian could have.
On his arrival at the club, Mudrky was used by Arteta as an impact sub rather than a starter. In his limited appearances from the bench, the 21-year-old impressed, though he never managed to earn a start in the Premier League.
In his first few months at the club, Mudryk played 12 games, coming off the bench 11 times in the league with his one start coming in the FA Cup. The Ukrainian had a fantastic return in that time, scoring five and assisting two when coming off the bench in the league.
The forward scored on his debut in a 3-0 win over Brighton, but he also notched vital goals including two late winners, once against Newcastle and the other against Aston Villa. In his short time at the club, he ended the season as the sixth top scorer.
Gabriel Jesus scored 24 goals in all competitions, whilst Saka averaged the highest rating per game as he scored 14 and assisted 19 in a brilliant season. Martin Odegaard and Martinelli also had good seasons, whilst Smith Rowe managed to net a few on his return from injury.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what it looked like:
Full Arsenal best XI: (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
With Mudryk used more as a squad player and impact sub than a starter, the forward didn't make the Arsenal best XI from the 2022/23 season, with Martinelli, Jesus and Saka the chosen front three. The rest of the starting XI was as expected for the Gunners, with Kieran Tierney picked over Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back.
Arsenal's results with Mykhaylo Mudryk from the 2022/23 season
Arsenal carried their fantastic start to the Premier League season right down to the final day, and despite going winless in their final three games of the season, the Gunners held on to pip Manchester City to the Premier League title. Arteta's side beat City 2-1 in both of their clashes - two results that had a big impact on the final league standings.
Arsenal lost just three games throughout the campaign, drawing eight and winning 27 - tallying a total of 89 points over the 38 games. Their 89 points were three more than Man City and five more than Liverpool in third after the Reds went on a 14-game winning run.
The addition of Mudryk also saw Arsenal end the season as the league's top scorers, netting 80 times throughout the campaign, two more than Liverpool and six more than City. Unfortunately for Arsenal, they couldn't add to their league success in the cup competitions.
After going unbeaten in their Europa League group stage, a 3-1 aggregate loss to Atalanta saw the Gunners crash out in the first knockout round. Mudryk made his debut as Arsenal lost 1-0 to Wolves in the FA Cup fourth round, whilst a late Ruben Loftus-Cheek goal saw Chelsea beat the Gunners in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Overall, the FM22 simulation predicts that Mudryk could solve a big issue for Mikel Arteta, offering depth to his squad and a fantastic option from the bench. The forward scored some important goals in his first few months at the clubs, ultimately helping the Gunners win the Premier League
Do you think Mykhaylo Mudryk would be a good fit at Arsenal? Let us know in the comments below!
READ NEXT:
- Mikel Arteta can finally crown three-year Arsenal mission and rest Bukayo Saka against PSV
- Eddie Nketiah's new Arsenal role gives Edu key reason to battle Chelsea to sign Ligue 1 star
- Arsenal handed huge boost ahead of PSV clash as Mikel Arteta eyes Europa League top spot
- Arsenal have their own Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane following £72m transfer business
- Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
