The race to sign Shakhtar’s talented winger Mykhaylo Mudryk has become a two-horse battle after Chelsea entered it to rival Arsenal’s approach. The Gunners’ two-bid affair to acquire the services of the 22-year-old is just dragging away, as the Ukrainian club is reportedly not happy with Arsenal’s second bid as well for their prized asset after rejecting the first one. Arsenal had tabled their first offer in the region of €60m [€40m fixed and €20m in add-ons], which Shakhtar rejected out of hand.
The Ukraine outfit wants a staggering €100m for Mudryk, and after talks with Arsenal have stalled, Chelsea have jumped the boat to hijack the deal for the player. The Blues have posed a serious threat to Arsenal’s attempts of completing a deal this month itself, as they are on a spending spree and ready to sign a €100m pay cheque right away. However, Mykhaylo Mudryk has now told his current employers that he will only leave the club for Arsenal, and not any other suitor.
He has said he’d like to join them – Journalist on Mykhaylo Mudryk wanting Arsenal move
Right from the start itself, it was pretty much clear that Mykhaylo Mudryk has set his heart on move to Arsenal. The Gunners’ fan-boy had even admitted it that he would “rather be a regular at Arsenal than be a benchwarmer at Real Madrid”. While it seemed just a far-sighted precedent than the winger at that time, it appears the Gunners really want to swoop in for him from Shakhtar.
And now the youngster has told his club straightforward that he wants to play for Arsenal after their improved bid to hasn’t impressed Shakhtar. According to multiple reports, the Gunners have upped their offer to a package of €70m, which includes a fixed fee of €50m and €20m worth add-ons. However, Shakhtar are still adamant on their evaluation of €100m, and have even cited Manchester United’s payment of a similar fee for Antony to justify their asking price.
But The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed that Mudryk has only said ‘yes’ to Arsenal and the club too are calm with their negotiations. Chelsea, on the other hand, backed by their new owners who are on a spending spree have already met Shakhtar Director Darijo Srna in London to discuss a potential deal. Ornstein meanwhile told NBC Sports:
“Arsenal’s interest remains strong. I think they’re staying calm. They’ll continue the conversations and there is optimism within The Emirates that with patience, they will get this done, given that the player has said he’d like to join them. His priority though is the Premier League, and perhaps that’s where Chelsea get a taste for this.
“I think this one might play out over the window. In fact some of them from Shakhtar are coming here tonight to watch the match. But I do think Arsenal are in a superior position. And I don’t think they’ll be too concerned at this point about a potential hijack from Chelsea.”
Mykhaylo Mudryk is a man in demand after amassing 10 goals and 8 assists in 18 games in all competitions this season. However, his blistering displays in the Champions League, wherein he scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists in 6 games has forced clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea to be on his trail. But as the reports confirm, Mudryk could only be on the move if he gets to sign an Arsenal contract and not any other.