Bacary Sagna thinks Arsenal will end up signing Mykhaylo Mudryk, and the current delay is just due to mind games between the two clubs.

Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna thinks the Gunners will eventually land their priority January target Mykhaylo Mudryk, it just might take until the end of the month.

“He’ll be joining the club,” Sagna claimed (via the Evening Standard). “I think football transfers are a mind game between the buyer and the seller. Shakhtar knows the quality of the player and they know that Arsenal really want him.

“I think it will happen, but maybe at the end of the window.

“Shakhtar will keep pushing and negotiating until the end to get the largest amount for their player, but they will be aware of the player’s desire to join the club and they won’t want to frustrate the player.

“It is also a massive opportunity for them to make a significant sale which can be invested in other players.

“I’m convinced the deal will happen.”

The most recent reports from Ukraine suggested a fee agreement is near.

According to SportArena, Arsenal and Shakhtar are continuing negotiations, and the clubs are now close to agreeing on the total amount of Mudryk’s transfer – including the fixed fee and bonuses.

However, there’s still some dispute over how much of that total fee will be paid upfront.

Arsenal want bonuses to comprise at least 30% of the entire transfer fee, but Shakhtar want bonuses to be a maximum of 20%.

The Gunners have already agreed personal terms for Mudryk, so once a fee is agreed upon, the rest should go smoothly.