Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners receive blow in pursuit of Napoli forward, and more - October 19, 2022

Arsenal will face PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates on Thursday (October 20) in the UEFA Europa League. Mikel Arteta’s side are leading Group A after three games, while their Dutch opponents are second.

Meanwhile, the Gunners have received a blow in their pursuit of a Napoli forward. Elsewhere, the north London side will have to pay €65 million for the services of a Shakhtar Donetsk winger.

On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on October 19, 2022:

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Arsenal receive blow in Victor Osimhen pursuit

Victor Osimhen is unlikely to leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium anytime soon.

Arsenal have received a setback in their pursuit of Victor Osimhen. The player's agent, Roberto Calenda, has said that Osimhen wants to continue his association with Napoli. The north London side are among the clubs monitoring the Nigerian, who is expected to cost around €110 million.

However, speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss, as cited by Caught Offside, Calenda said that Osimhen wants to play in the UEFA Champions League with Napoli.

"Whoever talked about a departure made a mistake. It was Victor’s will to stay at Napoli and play the Champions League that he won entry to last year together with his teammates," said Calenda.

He went on to add that the player wants to stay at the club and respect his contract.

"Victor wanted exactly that, to have a great year with Napoli, between the league and the Champions League. He has a long contract with the Azzurri. The market is dynamic, but our will is to continue at Napoli and continue to do well," said Calenda.

Osimhen has appeared eight times for Napoli this season across competitions and has scored four goals.

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Gunners have to pay €65 million for Mykhaylo Mudryk

Mykhaylo Mudryk (right) has admirers at the Emirates.

Acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reckons Mykhaylo Mudryk's valuation has soared since the summer. The Ukrainian winger was a target for Arsenal this year, but a move didn't materialise. The Gunners are expected to return for him either in January or next summer.

In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that he enjoys watching Mudryk.

“I continue to enjoy watching the development of Mykhaylo Mudryk – his performances in the Champions League this season have been amazing! He’s a player whose value has most likely shot up since the summer," wrote Romano.

Romano added Shakhtar Donetsk would want around €60-65 million for their prized asset.

"Shakhtar Donetsk wanted around €50m for him in August, probably €40m plus add-ons were enough. Today, I’m sure they want way more than €50m for their star; it could probably be as high as €60-65m," wrote Romano.

Mudryk has two goals from five appearances across competitions for the Ukrainian giants this season.

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Gabriel is too emotional, says Rio Ferdinand

Gabriel has helped Arsenal stay at top of the Premier League.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand reckons Gabriel lets his emotions get the better of him. The Brazilian has been rock-solid at the back for Arsenal recently but was nearly sent off against Leeds United this weekend.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, as cited by HITC, Ferdinand said that Gabriel could come good if he controls his emotions.

“You centre-backs you don’t want them to be spoken about a lot in the games; you just want an eight out of 10 every game. But every week, he’s in the headlines with a little bullet point next to his name and a bad incident,” said Ferdinand.

He added:

“I don’t know if you want to replace him. That energy, as much as we call him a liability, he’s performing. Time will tell if he’s someone you want to stick by. I don’t like emotional defenders, but if he can grow out of that, you have a good player there.”

Gabriel has appeared 12 times and scored once this season across competitions for the Gunners, who lead second-placed Manchester City by four points atop the Premier League summit.