Arsenal Working on Loan Deal For Shakhtar Defender Mykola Matviyenko to Avoid £30m Outright Fee

Arsenal will need to splash out £30m if they want to sign Mykola Matviyenko from Shakhtar Donetsk this January transfer window, but the club are working on a loan deal to suit all parties.

Mikel Arteta is on the hunt for defensive reinforcements this month, after seeing Calum Chambers ruled out for the rest of the season through injury and David Luiz now suspended for three matches following his red card against Chelsea on Tuesday night.

The stuttering form of Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis - along with Rob Holding returning from a serious injury - has exacerbated the situation, prompting a need to act quickly with just one week left of the window.

Matviyenko caught the eye of Arteta during his days as Manchester City's assistant coach, watching the player first-hand in the Cityzen's Champions League group stage encounters.

​Rumours surfaced around a pursuit of the central defender, but the Gunners looked to have been halted in their tracks after ​Sky Sports revealed that Shakhtar have slapped a hefty £30m price tag on the 23-year-old central defender, who has just 18 months left on his contract.

However, with a measly budget to play with this month, Ukrainian outlet ​Komanda have claimed that the Gunners are working on a loan deal for the rest of the season, which would include a £4.5m fee with a mandatory £22m purchase of the player in the summer.

A £30m outright fee is something that ​Arsenal would not be able to afford this window, but the move in question makes for a far more plausible option to the cash-strapped north London outfit. 

If Shakhtar agree to Arsenal's terms, then the deal would amount to just £3.5m shy of the Ukrainian side's asking price, and make Matviyenko the second most expensive Ukrainian ever - after Andriy Shevchenko.

Should that move come to fruition, then it is likely that Arteta could line up with a central defensive pairing of Matviyenko and William Saliba next season, with the Frenchman due to link up with the Gunners after his loan at Saint-Étienne finishes at the end of the season.

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