On Friday, there were further talks held by both Arsenal and Chelsea in their bid to sign Mykhailo Mudryk according to Lyall Thomas. The youngster is viewed as the “perfect winger” for the Blues, but the Shakhter Donestk player is being heavily linked with a January transfer to London rivals and current Premier League leaders Arsenal. The Gunners have had two bids rejected for the Ukrainian international, with Shakhtar demanding £88 million for the player.
Mudryk has scored ten goals and registered eight assists in all competitions this season, giving Shakhtar’s owners perfect justification for standing firm on their valuation of the wonderkid.
Arsenal made an initial bid of £35 million plus bonuses for the winger, but saw it, alongside their improved second bid submitted this week, rejected. The unwillingness of the North London club to pay Shakhtar’s asking price has now opened the doors for rivals Chelsea, who have also been keeping an eye on the player.
Mykhailo Mudryk Seen as ‘Perfect’ for Chelsea; His Heart Is Set on Arsenal
Mykhailo Mudryk Chelsea Transfer Complicated
Despite the riches that Chelsea possess thanks to their summer takeover by Todd Boehly, they face a greater challenge in convincing the player to move to west London.
Romano has reported that Mudryk’s priority continues to be a move to Arsenal, with CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs also confirming that the player’s preference is a move to north London.
Read More: Brazil Legend Juninho Raves Over Incoming £11 Million Chelsea Wonderkid
“Although the Chelsea interest in Mudryk is genuine, Chelsea know the deal remains in Arsenal’s control,” Jacobs said on Twitter. “But Shakhtar welcome any dialogue since it may help drive up the price, especially if (and it is an if) Chelsea do what they did with Raphinha and make a healthy offer.”
Another report from Tom Gott and Graeme Bailey also claims that the winger would prefer to join Mikel Arteta’s side than Graham Potter’s.
Arsenal’s ceiling for the deal might prove too hard an obstacle to overcome though, with Jacobs reporting that they do not want to pay more than £66 million for Mudryk.
Other Priorities For Chelsea To Address
Although Chelsea might be willing to spend more than their London rivals, they have other priorities to attend to. One major concern is over their options at right-back with Reece James out injured for a second time this season.
With Raheem Sterling signing in the summer, and both Christian Pulisic and Hakeem Ziyech still in the squad, another winger is unlikely to be high up the list of targets for Chelsea.
Read More: Fabrizio Romano Gives Key Update on Chelsea’s Pursuit of Young Star
As the Blues showed with the signing of Marc Cucurella last summer, their new hierarchy is not afraid to steal a signing out from under the noses of a rival. Mudryk might yet end up in a blue shirt before the January window shuts in a few weeks.
