Mikel Arteta was so close to ruining his Arsenal project in 2023 but Chelsea saved him

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Arsenal almost made a catastrophic error in 2023, which almost certainly would’ve set Mikel Arteta’s project back significantly.

The Gunners were competing for the Premier League title with Manchester City that season, but would ultimately miss out on the silverware by just four points.

It was the first campaign in which Arteta’s team had flirted with the prospect of winning a major trophy, and was arguably the turning point in the Spaniard’s reign at the Emirates.

Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard in January 2023, an addition that was prompted by the failure to sign another player, which would’ve significantly derailed Arteta’s project had it materialised.

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How close was Mykhailo Mudryk to signing for Arsenal?

Arsenal host Chelsea at the Emirates in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Blues boast an embarrassment of riches regarding attacking players, having stock piled a plethora of talented forwards in recent years.

One man who fits into this category is Mykhailo Mudryk, who the West Londoners took off Arsenal’s hands at the eleventh hour in January 2023.

Arsenal were poised to complete a deal for Mudryk, but Chelsea arrived at the last minute, offering Shakhtar Donetsk more favourable payment terms for the winger.

Joining a Graham Potter-led side at the time, the Ukrainian has gone on to ten goals in 73 appearances after completing his £89 million (with add-ons) move.

Shortly after the deal came to fruition, Shakhtar’s chief executive Sergei Palkin revealed to the Athletic just how close Arsenal came to signing Mudryk.

“Before Chelsea arrived, I did not know they were close, because I communicated with Arsenal in the same way as I had with Chelsea,” he said.

“Even I can tell you more: I met Arsenal more times than Chelsea. Therefore, before this last meeting, Arsenal was close, or a little bit closer to this deal than Chelsea.

“From my point of view, (this) is why everybody talked about Arsenal. It is because Arsenal contacted the player almost one and a half months before they contacted us.

“They contacted the player and the agent of the player and they met the financial conditions.

“Therefore, why did many people around it have the impression that Mudryk was going to Arsenal? It is because Arsenal contacted him and then Mudryk started to watch some games of Arsenal.”

Mykhailo Mudryk would’ve been a disastrous signing for Arsenal

As shown by his form over the last two years, Mudryk evidently isn’t at the level required to be a success in the Premier League.

While he flaunts blistering pace, his technical quality and decision-making isn’t good enough to play at the highest level.

With Chelsea’s seeming infinite resources, this transfer mistake hasn’t proven too detrimental, with the likes of Noni Madueke, Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto all arriving at Stamford Bridge to usurp him.

However, with the more modest budget that Arsenal like to operate with, a blunder of that magnitude would’ve had huge ramifications on the Gunners’ ability to invest in other transfers in the following years, as shown by the Nicolas Pepe debacle.

Arteta likely would’ve been forced to persist with Mudryk for some time, while the Spaniard wouldn’t have been afforded the luxury that Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca have had in being able to bring in replacements.

It’s not too far-fetched to say Chelsea’s frivolousness may have saved Arteta’s project.