Arsenal are planning to go back in for Shakhtar Donetsk defender Mykola Matviyenko this summer, hoping for a cut-price deal based on his current contract.

The AFC Bell report that Arsenal are preparing another move for Matviyenko in the summer window, as the 24-year-old’s contract in Ukraine runs down.

Mikel Arteta is reportedly pushing the transfer, as he values the player’s profile, his ability to build from the back and the fact he can cover at left-back.

Arsenal pushed for the signing in January, but Shakhtar wouldn’t agree to a loan move, even if it ended with a mandatory purchase this summer. They insisted on €30m for a permanent move.

Matviyenko remains at the forefront of Arsenal’s potential defensive signings, and now only has one year left on his contract. The value of a deal will be much lower than that €30m figure as a result.

That’s a good thing too, because there’s no way Arsenal are splashing out tens of millions right now. The club are mostly looking at free transfers and swaps as we wait for the Premier League to return.

If the league does return, that will help a little. But to really spend this summer Arsenal need to make the Champions League. The Europa League is the bare minimum.

David Ornstein confirmed Arsenal did ‘really like’ Matviyenko in January, and only pulled out over the €30m asking price. A smaller fee could make a deal more realistic this summer.