Redknapp believes Chelsea helped Arsenal dodge £88 million bullet

Jamie Redknapp says Arsenal were lucky to not sign Chelsea forward Mykhaylo Mudryk

Jamie Redknapp suggests that Arsenal dodged a bullet by failing to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk, who ended up joining Chelsea instead. According to Redknapp, Arsenal narrowly missed out on signing the Ukrainian forward, as Chelsea swooped in at the last moment to secure his services.

The transfer saga between the two London clubs was intense, with both Arsenal and Chelsea vying for Mudryk’s signature during the January transfer window. Although Arsenal came close to completing the deal, Chelsea’s late push ultimately saw them win the race for the player.

However, Mudryk’s time at Chelsea has been inconsistent so far, with the forward struggling to find his form. In contrast, Arsenal managed to secure the signing of Leandro Trossard for £27 million after missing out on Mudryk. Considering Mudryk’s reported value of £88 million, Redknapp believes that Arsenal may have made a wise decision by pursuing Trossard instead.

And Redknapp feels Arsenal’s signing Trossard instead of Mudryk was a better signing, as they dodged a bullet by not signing Mudry. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, via Metro:

‘’If my mind serves me correctly, they were in for Mudryk. They didn’t get him; he chose to go to Chelsea, and they paid a lot of money for him, so [Trossard] was probably the second choice. But if you look at the two careers up to now—and there’s nothing to say that Mudryk can’t go on to still have a good career at Chelsea—he’s been a brilliant signing.’’

On current form, it is clear that Arsenal certainly got the better deal. Trossard has put up better numbers and has proven himself clutch in scoring key goals. Mudryk, on the other hand is arguably in possession of better raw talent. While it will take work to help it harness it, we could yet make a proper player out of him.

Redknapp’s assessment may overlook certain crucial factors. Mudryk is still adapting to his first season in the Premier League, whereas Trossard is enjoying a productive campaign in his fifth season in the English top flight. Furthermore, there’s a notable age gap between the two players, with Trossard being 29 years old, six years older than Mudryk.

Therefore, it’s essential to consider the difference in experience and age when comparing their performances. Redknapp’s evaluation may not fully account for these factors, suggesting that it might be somewhat flawed.

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It’s possible that Mudryk might need a couple of seasons to acclimate to the Premier League, but once he does, he could blossom into a formidable talent. While Arsenal may have sidestepped a potential setback, they’ve also missed out on the opportunity to secure a highly skilled player who has the potential to leave a significant mark on the sport.