Arsenal target ready to snub bench role at Real Madrid to join the Gunners

Shakhtar Donetsk wonderkid Mykhailo Mudryk has said he would rather play as a starter for Arsenal than a bench player for Real Madrid.

Mudryk has caught the eye of many European giants this season after a bright start for the Ukrainian side.

At 21, Mudryk has put himself in the spotlight with three Champions League goals in five games.

Arsenal were reportedly in talks to sign the Ukraine international in the summer transfer window but pulled out of negotiations.

However, the Gunners have been linked with a return for Mudryk when the January transfer window opens.

What has Mudryk said?

The winger has been surprisingly open about his future in a recent chat with Ukrainian TV presenter Vlada Sedan, the wife of Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko.

In an interview published on Sedan's YouTube channel, Mudryk addressed his stance on potentially joining Arsenal or Real Madrid.

“From a purely theoretical fantasy perspective if there was the option of being a bench player for Real Madrid or a starter for Arsenal, I’d probably choose Arsenal," Mudryk said.

He was also asked by The Times if he thinks he will play in the Premier League: "Yes, yes, it is possible.

"The Premier League is the best league in the world and everyone wants to play in this league.

"I'm only at a maximum of 20 percent of my potential," he added.

(Image via: Alamy)

Fabrizio Romano, the transfer expert, has explained the current situation on his YouTube channel and said Arsenal have been in talks with Mudryk.

"They had very confident talks on Mudryk's side, on the player's side," Romano said.

"But then they decided not to proceed with Shakhtar, because they wanted more than €60-65m, I am told.

"So it's not going to be an easy one. But they are still following the player."