Arsenal's "main focus" for the January transfer window is Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykhaylo Mudryk, while the club are fully aware of how "special" he can become, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Ukraine international has been the subject of intense talks between the two clubs over the past few weeks, with the Gunners recently seeing their opening bid of £57m rejected according to The Athletic.

Arsenal Transfer News - Mykhaylo Mudryk

After missing out on Raphinha to Barcelona in the summer, Edu and Mikel Arteta appear to have turned their attentions towards Mudryk as they target a new winger for the squad.

Indeed, having had that first offer turned down by Shakhtar, The Daily Mail have now claimed that the Gunners are considering making an improved bid for Mudryk.

The report adds that the Ukrainian giants are keen on holding out for the £85m they've been demanding all along, but that Arsenal remain strong favourites to get their man.

What did Fabrizio Romano say about Arsenal's move for Mudryk?

Now, with the January transfer window open, Romano has insisted Arsenal are still all in on Mudryk for now, and that the Gunners are aware of how good he could potentially be.

He said: "I think their main focus remains on Mykhaylo Mudryk. The feeling of all the people in the industry is that Arsenal know how special this guy can become in the next few years."

Arsenal need Mudryk for Premier League title push

Valued at £35m by Transfermarkt, the Ukrainian has been in scintillating form this season, and so it's no surprise that Arsenal have made him a key target for the January transfer window.

In 18 games across all competitions this campaign, he has fired in ten goals and provided another eight assists, while it's his performances in the Champions League in particular that have drawn the biggest reviews.

Mudryk scored in both the home and away fixtures against Celtic in the group stages, while he enjoyed arguably his best display of the year in the 4-1 win against RB Leipzig in Germany - a game in which he scored once and set up another two.

In fact, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has suggested that the Gunners need Mudryk to sustain a Premier League title push, saying: "When I've seen him play in the Champions League, he's been left wing and Gabriel Martinelli is there right now, he's been outstanding. Maybe one of them will go through the middle?

"If they want to compete with Manchester City - and they are doing that right now but I'm talking about in all competitions and for the next few years like Liverpool have done - you need options from the bench. Arteta knows that better than anyone from his time at Manchester City."

Given the Gunners are without Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Jesus for the foreseeable future, and Emile Smith Rowe only just returning to full training, a signing like Mudryk would add a huge amount of quality and depth to this Arsenal side.

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