Arsenal ‘handed’ eye-watering £86m transfer price tag as Gunners do ‘due diligence’ on target

Arsenal suffered a setback in their Europa League campaign on Thursday night, losing to PSV Eindhoven.

The Gunners were beaten 2-0 in the Netherlands, and that means they will have to wait until the final game to try to wrap up top spot. Arsenal only needed a draw to finish top on Thursday, but PSV’s win means they are within two points heading into the last week. Top spot is all the more important in the Europa League because it means playing two fewer games, with second place teams having to play a play-off game against the teams dropping out of the Champions League.

As Arsenal turn attention back to the Premier League, we have rounded up all the latest transfer news and rumours.

Ndicka links

Arsenal are again being linked with Eintracht Frankfurt start Evan Ndicka.

The defender has been linked with the Gunners over recent weeks, and now journalist Ben Jacobs has been speaking about the situation, with Ndicka out of contract next year.

“Arsenal like the player. They’ve certainly done their legwork and their due diligence and their scouting on him,” Jacobs told GiveMeSport. “There’s a lot of interest in the player, not just from the Premier League but from all across Europe as well.”

Mudryk blow

Arsenal will have to pay a big fee to get their hands on the in-demand Mykhaylo Mudryk. The Gunners, and indeed a number of other clubs have been linked with a move for the Shakhtar Donetsk star, but according to the Ukrainian club’s chief, the winger will come with a big price tag.

Mudryk will cost as much as £86.4million, according to Shakhtar’s Carlo Nicolini, who told Calciomercato.it programme, TV Play: “Is €40m enough to buy him? We do not speak to these figures. Not even for €50m, we don’t even call the president to communicate the offer. We value Mudryk more than Antony of Manchester United, who cost €100m.

“We are not obliged to sell, we do not want to make phenomena. We don’t want to shoot figures that aren’t realistic. But in this team, he is the most decisive. If you want to take on certain players who make a difference in the top clubs, you also need the right money.”