Arsenal are understood to have reached an agreement to sign Ukraine international Mykola Matviyenko from Shakhtar Donetsk this month.
The 23-year-old has been one of Mikel Arteta's top targets in January as he looks to bolster his defence, although it had appeared Arsenal were closer to completing a deal from Flamengo's Pablo Mari.
Mari even travelled to London to complete his medical, but the Spaniard has since returned to Flamengo and his move to Emirates Stadium now appears to be up in doubt.
All's not lost for Arsenal, however, as according to Ukranian outlet Komanda1, the club have reached an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk for Matviyenko.
Although there's an agreement in place for Matviyenko, it's claimed Arsenal still haven't made a final decision over their main target this month - and there's still a possibility the club could opt to sign Mari instead.
It's also suggested Arsenal's initial deal for Mari fell through after changing the terms of their agreement with Flamengo - at the last minute, pushing for a loan deal which includes an obligation to buy - which is why the defender returned to Brazil.
Arsenal don't have long to act if they want to add another centre-back to their squad, but a recent injury to Shkodran Mustafi has given selling clubs an even bigger advantage when it comes to negotiations as the Gunners are in desperate need of reinforcements.
Komanda1's claim that an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk has already been reached, therefore, should give fans some hope that they will see a new face come through the door before the transfer window closes on Friday.
But as is always the case when it comes to Arsenal targets, it's always better to air on the side of caution until the club make an announcement themselves.
Arsenal will need all the help they can get as they're still fighting for a place in the top four, while Arteta will want to lift some silverware either in the Europa League or FA Cup at the end of the season.
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Source :
90min
