Arsenal have been given a number of significant updates on how the Mykhaylo Mudryk transfer is progressing after weeks of negotiations with no real breakthrough between the two clubs. Shakhtar are known as tough negotiators and their firm stance on Mudryk is certainly proving that.
Shakhtar chief Carlo Nicollini has been keen to mention their set price for the 22-year-old which still stands at €100million (£88.5million), with big-money transfers to Premier League teams for Antony and Jack Grealish often used as the reference point.
"Our director said that we need a bid closer to the Jack Grealish fee (£100million) than Antony (£86million) to sell Mudryk," he said in December. "We're not even considering a bid with €40million (£35million) as fixed fee."
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Arsenal's opening bid was £55million that included add-ons, as football.london understands and after that was rejected, a second bid was sent in the following few days that was also met with the same answer.
Interest from Chelsea has only helped Shakhtar's case of either keeping their star player or receiving their desired transfer fee as the Blues emerging as a possible destination can be leveraged by the Ukrainian club against Arsenal.
However, Fabrizio Romano has suggested that the Gunners are still in a strong position to sign Mudryk, but there is one key reason why negotiations have not reached an advance stage despite the player being keen on the transfer.
Speaking to GiveMeSport said: “We can confirm that Arsenal are confident and optimistic. They feel they can sign the player before the end of the window, but at the moment, it is not close to being completed yet.”
“What I wanted to explain to you is that we have different kinds of negotiations in the transfer market. Sometimes the clubs are not in direct contact – they just send official bids and get an answer," he told his YouTube channel, (via The Boot Room).
“But in this case, Shakhtar and Arsenal are in direct contact – they speak almost every single day. This is why Arsenal have always been confident and optimistic, but also because the player wants Arsenal as full priority. Mudryk is really pushing to go to Arsenal. He wants to go there.
“Between the clubs, the conversation is on a daily basis, they always speak. But Shakhtar, as they told Chelsea last week and Arsenal for a long time, they are still insisting on €100 million.
“Arsenal want to sign Mudryk – but not for €100m. At the moment, Arsenal have no intention to match the full €100 million package. This is why the negotiation is still ongoing.”
The Gunners, along with not wanting to match that valuation, are not interested in a bidding war either. While Edu's main priority of this window is agreeing a deal for Mudryk his second most important job of the transfer window is finding alternatives for the 22-year-old if Shakhtar lower their demands.
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