Arsenal continue to chase Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk during the opening few days of the January transfer window.
The talented 22-year-old has made it no secret of his admiration for the Gunners, although Shakhtar’s steep valuation of the player could make any deal difficult to pull off this month – especially when you consider that London rival Chelsea are also keen on the Ukrainian international. Mikel Arteta’s side will be hoping that they can get a deal over the line as soon as possible, with a north London derby against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur looming before they host Manchester United to the Emirates Stadium shortly after.
Shakhtar are sticking to their £85million asking price of Mudryk with Chelsea said to be willing to outbid any rival offer whilst Arsenal appear to be refusing to be drawn into any bidding war.
Mudryk’s preference
Transfer expert Graeme Bailey has now reported that a move to the Emirates remains Mudryk’s preference despite interest from Chelsea in recent times. Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, Bailey said: “He wants to go to Arsenal, he’s made that clear over the past 24 hours as well from our understanding.
“Arsenal are not too amused by Chelsea coming in. You can’t stop them from talking to Darijo Srna, but there is a belief in the Arsenal camp that it will get done.
Mudryk ‘makes Chelsea U-turn’
The Shakhtar forward has hardly hidden his desire to leave the Ukrainian outfit and openly admitted he would be ‘sad’ if he couldn’t force through an exit this month, according to The Mirror. The Ukraine international has scored 10 goals and provided a further eight assists in 18 appearances across all competitions for Shakhtar this season as a move to the Premier League continues to be negotiated.
Chelsea are rumoured to be willing to outbid any rival offer and meet Shakhtar’s astronomical £85million asking price. Arsenal are refusing to be drawn into a bidding war and are not phased by the Blues’ approach for Mudryk as they look to rely on the player’s desire to play for Mikel Arteta as a key bargaining chip.
The Ukrainian international was regularly liking posts on Instagram mentioning his proposed Arsenal switch and even uploaded footage of him watching Arteta’s side to his story. New reports have suggested that the 22-year-old may have had his head slightly turned by Chelsea’s interest, despite the Gunners sitting five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Arsenal have done plenty of groundwork in securing a deal for Mudryk and remain confident that a transfer will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Chelsea’s interest means the transfer saga could rumble on right until the very end of the window later this month.
Chelsea set for Shakhtar meeting
According to The Sun, Chelsea are set to make a last ditch attempt to sign the Ukraine international ahead of their London rivals with Shakhtar Donetsk chief Darijo Srna set to travel to the English capital this week. The Ukrainian club have publicly demanded a fee close to £85million, with the Gunners’ latest offer of £62million falling well below their asking price.
The report claims that Arsenal have already agreed personal terms over a five-year deal, worth around £120,000-per-week, with the player himself having dropped huge hints that he wants to move to the Emirates Stadium. Chelsea could beat their rivals to a deal should they agree to meet the asking price with a bid in the region of £60million, with another £20million included in add-ons.
