According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea could enter the race to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk in case Arsenal pull out of negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Mudryk has been earmarked as Arsenal’s top target for the January transfer window and they have already made an initial offer of £35 million plus £18 million in add-ons that has been rejected.
Romano has now confirmed that Arsenal have made a fresh bid for the 21-year-old but Chelsea could look to hijack the deal if their London rivals can’t find a solution with Shakhtar.
Potential
Mudryk has had a fine season for Shakhtar, scoring 10 goals and providing 8 assists from 18 games. He has primarily played on the left wing and has been likened to Brazil’s Neymar for his potential. He is still a raw talent but has the qualities to develop into a top-class player.
The Ukrainian has speed, strong dribbling skills and plenty of creativity. Arsenal want to sign him to boost their surprise Premier League title bid but the big question mark is whether they are prepared to meet the demands of Shakhtar, who are eyeing around £85 million to sell him.
Mikel Arteta’s side are optimistic of finalising a lower fee with numerous add-ons but the lack of a breakthrough could benefit Chelsea, who have been prepared to pay huge fees under co-owner Todd Boehly. The Blues are supposedly planning for the long-term.
The current campaign has been woeful by their high standards and they are languishing ninth in the league table at the moment. Nonetheless, the rebuilding project is on under manager Graham Potter and Mudryk would be a statement signing if they can lure him to Stamford Bridge.
Their chances of doing so could entirely depend on Arsenal pulling out of talks with Shakhtar. Mudryk has been publicly advocating for a transfer to Arsenal by posting screenshots of their games and it is widely known that they are his priority club at the current point of time.
