Arsenal is reportedly interested in signing Brighton midfielder Kaoru Mitoma as a backup plan to their failed pursuit of Ukrainian winger Mykhaylo Mudryk. The Gunners were attempting to sign Mudryk in January but were outbid by Chelsea, who sealed the £88.5 million transfer for the 22-year-old.

As a result, Arsenal shifted their focus to Leandro Trossard and Moises Caicedo, but three bids for the Ecuadorian midfielder were rejected by Brighton.

According to reports, Arsenal is looking to sign Mitoma this summer, but the Gunners may have to spend over £35 million to acquire the Japanese sensation. However, their relationship with Brighton may have been damaged, as the Seagulls felt that the Gunners made derogatory bids for Caicedo, despite the club’s insistence that he was not for sale.

The situation has soured Brighton’s respect for Arsenal and may impact their future dealings with the club.

Brighton may require Arsenal to pay significantly over the odds to sign Mitoma or simply ignore their advances, as the club has dropped down the pecking order of teams that Brighton feels comfortable negotiating with.

In addition to Caicedo and Mitoma, Arsenal is expected to return for West Ham captain Declan Rice in the summer as the Premier League leaders aim to further bolster their midfield options.

Mitoma has been in excellent form since his return from the World Cup, scoring five goals in seven appearances, including in eachh of Brighton’s last three league games.

Despite his recent success, Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi believes that there is still more to come from Mitoma, who he considers an individual player who needs to improve playing with his team-mates.

“For Mitoma, he didn’t play the best game of his life, but Mitoma can always score. I can never substitute him because I felt during the game he could score,” said De Zerbi after Brighton’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

In conclusion, Arsenal may turn to Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma as a backup plan after their failed pursuit of Ukrainian winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, but the Gunners may have to pay a premium or be ignored by the Seagulls, who felt that their relationship was damaged by the recent bids for Moises Caicedo. Nevertheless, Mitoma has been in excellent form and is considered a promising player with much more to offer.