The Evening Standard has revealed that Arsenal have opened talks with Shakhtar Donetsk over a deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The Ukrainian talent has been the subject of transfer speculation in recent times with the Gunners’ interest in him carrying beyond the end of the summer window. Popularly dubbed as the ‘Ukrainian Neymar’, Mudryk has attracted a lot of attention across Europe with his impressive displays for Shakhtar, earning heavy links to the Premier League.
The Ukrainian outfit have slapped a massive £85 million (€100 million) price tag on their man and the North London club have opened talks with Shakhtar to secure a deal for this winter, as per the Evening Standard. Mikel Arteta has accelerated his transfer plans following striker Gabriel Jesus’ knee injury that could keep him out of action for three months.
Manchester City are also believed to be interested in securing Mudryk’s services, having scouted him for quite some time. This past summer, Brentford also made an approach for Mudryk but to no avail. The Ukrainian top-flight side also rejected a £25 million bid from Everton, as per the source.
Mudryk has fueled the possibility of him playing for Arsenal, having disclosed his admiration for the former Premier League champions in a recent interview. Shakhtar though, want to keep their man until the end of the season in order to boost their hopes of winning the Premier Liga and secure a direct passage to UEFA Champions League. The idea is to then let him assess his options at the end of the term.
Our View
Arsenal should do everything to get this deal across the line. Mudryk will not only add additional firepower to Arteta’s attack but will also provide the Spaniard with depth and competition in his ranks.
In what was believed to be his breakout season after the transfer disappointment of last summer, Mudryk has put in some eye-catching performances. He has scored 12 goals and has assisted 17 times in his 44 appearances for Shakhtar in all competitions. This season alone, he has registered 10 goals and eight assists in his 18 appearances for his side. He also scored three and set-up two more in the UEFA Champions League.
Arsenal are strongly placed this season and could be on their way to winning their first Premier League title since 2003-04. This also allows them to become an attractive destination for prospects across Europe to sign for them, including Mudryk.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal can agree a deal with Shakhtar and convince them to part ways with their star forward this winter, but there is no doubt Mudryk would be an exciting signing for the Gunners if they can pull it off.
