Agent claims Arsenal in talks to sign Shakhtar Donetsk defender
Mykola Matviyenko's agent says Arsenal are in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk about signing the defender
Mykola Matviyenko’s agent has claimed that Arsenal are in discussions with Shakhtar Donetsk about signing the defender.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been linked with a swoop to sign a defender in the January transfer window given his side’s issues at the back.
Calum Chambers is set to be sidelined for the remainder of the Premier League season, while Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac have struggled with injury problems.
Metro claim that Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng and RB Leipzig’s promising centre-half Dayot Upamecano are both potential targets for the Gunners.
However, the agent of Shakhtar defender Matviyenko has claimed that the Gunners are in discussions with the Ukrainian side about a potential deal for the 23-year-old.
“Recently, my colleagues and I have been constantly in contact with representatives of the Arsenal, and have had meetings,” Matviyenko’s agent is quoted as saying by Metro.
“The Gunners’ hierarchy have already contacted [Shakhtar], and we hope that these negotiations will succeed.”
The 5ft 11ins defender has scored three times in 40 games in all competitions for Shakhtar Donetsk since breaking into the first team on a more regular basis last term.
The Gunners will be without Brazilian defender David Luiz for their next Premier League game after he was sent off for a last-ditch foul on Tammy Abraham in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC on Wednesday night.
Granit Xhaka was deployed in an unorthodox centre-half role to fill Luiz’s void as goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Hector Bellerin sealed a point for the visitors.
