Weeks of negotiations. Countless social media hints. Wry smiles from Mikel Arteta in press conferences. But it looks like Arsenal will ultimately not get their man.
Despite engaging in several rounds of talks with hardball negotiators Shakhtar Donetsk, Arsenal have been forced to concede defeat to Chelsea in the race for 21-year-old attacker Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The Ukraine international has teased a move to the Emirates countless times, but with the Gunners reluctant to bow to Shakhtar's €100m (£88.7m) demands, hijacking maestros Chelsea stole in.
Shakhtar have now confirmed that Mudryk is "very close" to signing for Graham Potter's side, leading to a familiar sense of January uncertainty among Arsenal fans as Edu focuses his search on a new winger elsewhere.
The return of Emile Smith Rowe from groin surgery is a welcome boost to Arteta's attacking ranks, but with the Spaniard making no bones about his desire to strengthen in January, one can expect several more wingers to move up Arsenal's shortlist.
With that in mind, Sports Mole picks out three alternative options to Mudryk that Arsenal could try to strike a deal for this month.
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Arsenal fans have already experienced one bout of disappointment with their club spending big to sign a winger named Pepe, and deja vu could soon strike for the Premier League leaders - in terms of off-field activity anyway.
With £72m signing Nicolas Pepe trying to reignite his career back in Ligue 1 with Nice, Arsenal have been tipped to swoop for his Porto-based namesake, who would be an immediate solution to Arteta's dilemma on the left.
Primarily featuring on that flank for the Portuguese champions this term, 25-year-old Pepe - who left his home comforts of Gremio in 2021 to join Porto - has nine goals and 12 assists to show from 70 games for Sergio Conceicao's outfit.
Starting 13 Primeira Liga matches for Porto this term, the ex-Brazil Under-23 international has two goals and four assists in that time. Hardly eye-catching statistics, but Pepe's versatility is bound to appeal to Arteta.
Capable of featuring on either wing, in the number 10 role or even as a right-back, Pepe only extended his deal with Porto until 2027 in October, so Arsenal can still expect to pay a pretty penny to bring the South American to North London.
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Not a single transfer window goes by where Wilfried Zaha is not tipped to leave Crystal Palace, and the Ivory Coast international was believed to have been Unai Emery's number one target in 2019 before the signing of Pepe.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but with Pepe struggling to make his mark in North London, one wonders what could have been with Zaha, but the 30-year-old's future has arguably never been shrouded in so much uncertainty.
Indeed, Zaha has now entered the final six months of his deal with Palace and could leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, and he is already free to begin discussions with foreign clubs - music to the ears of Barcelona amid rumours of a potential swoop.
Arsenal's name has not been mentioned as much as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur's recently, but six goals and two assists in the Premier League this season shows that there is still plenty of life in Zaha's legs - when they are not being kicked, at least.
Ranking in the 94th percentile for fouls won per 90 (3.23) versus wingers in the last 365 days, Zaha would join the current Arsenal attackers to receive weekly rough treatment, and he would certainly not be seen as a long-term solution.
However, a short-term move for the ex-Manchester United youngster would save Arsenal a few quid before the summer while also adding some much-needed cover to their attack, and it would be fascinating to see how Zaha would cope in Europa League action.
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Having made his breakthrough in the Villarreal team under ex-Arsenal manager Unai Emery, 20-year-old Yeremy Pino is the new exciting kid on the block in La Ceramica.
The 2002-born attacker already has one Europa League crown to his name and is just one appearance away from racking up 100 for Villarreal, during which time he has scored 16 goals and set up six more.
After an eye-catching 2021-22 season in which he directly contributed to 10 goals in La Liga, Pino has found the going a bit tougher this time around, only recording two goals and one assist from 22 games on either the left or right wing.
However, the most recent of those strikes helped the Yellow Submarine secure a 2-1 win over Spanish and European champions Real Madrid, once again sending tongues wagging, and his emergence earned him a place in Spain's World Cup squad.
Pino did not earn a single minute of action in Qatar, but Villarreal are nevertheless said to value him at a whopping €80m (£70.9m), and they are under little pressure to sell for less given that he is under contract until 2027.
Receiving an average of 5.6 progressive passes per game, Pino would certainly benefit from Oleksandr Zinchenko breaking the lines on the left, but Barcelona and Real Madrid are also rumoured to be monitoring his development closely.
Ben Knapton
