Arsenal are in pole position to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk, who is keen on the move, but it still might not happen in the January window.
Speaking to SoccerNews.nl, Gianluca Di Marzio claimed Arsenal are leading the race to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk.
“At the moment, Arsenal are trying to sign him because they know they are dealing with a very talented player,” Di Marzio said. “But whether it will also work in January… I don’t know.
“That they are in pole position to capture him is certain. But: Shakhtar is a difficult negotiating partner and they are probably asking about 35 million euros for him.”
That figure of €35m is a long way off what other sources are claiming.
Shakhtar are publicly proclaiming they want €100m, and whilst the likes of David Ornstein have suggested they’re privately willing to negotiate for much less than that, a €65m discount seems a bit far-fetched.
Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal are pushing for Mudryk, and that whilst they haven’t bid for the winger yet, they are in direct talks over an agreeable fee.
Romano adds that the player is keen, which is backed up by plenty of other sources. Ornstein had previously suggested Mudryk is so keen he could even push for a move to improve the chances of a deal.
Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin spoke to the media about the possibility of a January deal, after holding talks in London this week.
“To be honest, I do not know,” Palkin said. “At the moment, we are quite far from what we want and what clubs propose. It’s not so far but it is not what we need. We have discussions. One club, another club, they negotiate. We are in the process.
“Will it close this month? I don’t know. It is maybe 50-50 with regards to the winter transfer window. I don’t want to talk about figures now. We are in discussions. We have interest from some English clubs and we are in the process.”
Tariq Panja reports that Shakhtar Donetsk’s representatives were in the English capital this week, with talks ongoing with at least four clubs for Mudryk.
Panja claims there’s no sign of an imminent breakthrough and talks could drag on beyond the January window.
The winger’s agent Oleksiy Alyokhin has suggested that the January window could be the right time for him to leave Shakhtar.
“It can be seen with the naked eye that he outgrew the championship of Ukraine a long time ago and is ready to perform at a more serious level,” Alyokhin said. “He needs to progress.
“And in my opinion, now is the best time for it. I think everyone will benefit from this. Shakhtar, the national team of Ukraine, and the player himself.”
Mudryk has scored 10 goals and assisted eight in 18 appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk this season, including five goals and assists in his six Champions League appearances.