Arsenal could have signed £203m Chelsea duo, instead they’re hoping to ruin Mikel Arteta’s title chances

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal’s upcoming clash with Chelsea is an important one, with a loss surely ending any chances of winning the Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta’s side have stumbled in recent weeks, with a lack of creativity stemming from an injury crisis which saw Martin Odegaard miss the last two months of action.

The game at Stamford Bridge is a huge one, with Chelsea above Arsenal on goal difference, and another away loss after defeats at Bournemouth, Newcastle and Inter Milan, could be disastrous.

Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli have both come in for heavy criticism recently, but Arsenal could have had different options in their squad, who will now likely line up for Chelsea instead.

• READ MORE: All Mikel Arteta signings at Arsenal ranked from worst to best

Arsenal could have signed Chelsea pair Moises Caicedo and Mykhaylo Mudryk

January 2023 saw Arsenal unexpectedly involved in the Premier League title race, and they used this as an opportunity to strengthen their squad.

Trossard and Jorginho arrived, but they were not Arteta’s first-choice targets, as bids were made for Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk and Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

Both would have been club-record deals for young players at the time, but both clubs rejected their offers. Mudryk then controversially moved to Chelsea for around £88m in that same window, whilst Caicedo moved six months later for £115m, with a total spend of £203m.

Mudryk has struggled at Chelsea, whilst Caicedo overcame initial difficulties, and is now thriving at Stamford Bridge.

Mykhaylo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo could have improved Arsenal

Both players will hope for a Chelsea win, which would ruin Arsenal’s chances of winning the league, but both could have been lining up for the visitors instead.

Whilst Mudryk has struggled at Chelsea, he could have fared differently under Arteta at Arsenal in a team which was thriving at the time of his move, and he would have at least added the speed which is often lacking in attack.

Arsenal may not have regrets over Caicedo, given that Declan Rice later joined instead, but the pair could have excelled together at the Emirates, and Arteta will hope that their failed moves do not come back to bite him.