Arsenal are closing in on their first January signing, with Ukrainian winger Mykhaylo Mudryk looking set to join up with Mikel Arteta’s squad following a prolonged pursuit of the player.

This could give the Gunners a major boost in their hunt for the Premier League title, although Arteta won't want to stop there as he will be looking to secure another couple of deals before the transfer window shuts.

Adding another defender might be on the cards, especially as the club were linked with Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda last month, and it seems that the youngster would be in favour of a move to the Premier League.

According to a source in Spain, the 18-year-old sensation wants a move to Arsenal, and Arteta could be close to securing another January deal if everything goes to plan.

He has a release clause of €30m (£26m), and this could turn out to be a wise investment over the next few years judging by his enormous talent.

Fresneda has featured nine times this season for the La Liga outfit and has already underlined his defensive capabilities by making 3.2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 2.7 clearances per game while winning an impressive 59% of his duels - solid returns for a player only recently thrust into the first-team spotlight.

His talents aren’t just limited to his defensive duties either, with the right-back proving that he can offer an attacking threat from the back, creating two big chances this term while making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.3 dribbles per match.

His early season performances led journalist Juan Arroita to sing his praises by saying: “Iván Fresneda has a beastly ability to take measured crosses from the right-handed lane. How good does the boy look? 17 years old...”

If the teenager continues at his current level of development and moves to the Emirates Stadium, he could become Arsenal’s first-choice right-back in the next few years, and it would tie in with Arteta’s philosophy of signing young talent and lowering the average age of his squad.

Mudryk could be the dream signing that Arsenal supporters have been waiting for, but potentially recruiting Fresneda could be every bit as exciting, and the next couple of weeks will be very interesting indeed.