According to The Athletic, the Chelsea hierarchy warned Mykhailo Mudryk that playing time could be extremely difficult to come by if he signed with Arsenal.

In January, Arsenal was the overwhelming favorite to sign Mudryk.

But despite several weeks of discussions, the Gunners and Shakhtar Donetsk were unable to come to an agreement on a transfer fee.

Chelsea was able to complete a deal last weekend thanks to that allowing them to hijack the transfer.

On Saturday, Blues co-owner Behdad Eghbali and director of international transfers Paul Winstanley traveled to Turkey for in-person talks with Shakhtar before returning to London with Mudryk after an £88.6 million deal was reached.

It's believed that Mudryk preferred to move to Arsenal, but during lengthy negotiations on Saturday, Chelsea argued that the 22-year-old should stay at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea told Mudryk that he would play a key role in Graham Potter’s side and that the club would provide a “platform” for him to thrive.

The report also claims that Chelsea chiefs argued that Mudryk would face more difficulty at Arsenal, where he would be fighting for a spot alongside Gabriel Martinelli.