Arsenal have held 'positive talks' with Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, but their reluctance to buy him in the summer means that his price has since inflated to more than £60million.
The club had previously looked at the Ukrainian's availability but decided not to bring him to the Emirates due, in part, to his £45m price tag.
Mudryk has seven goals in 14 appearances for Donetsk, with three of those coming in the Champions League. Now, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Mudryk will cost in excess of £60million.
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"We know they [Arsenal] wanted a winger. Raphinha was the dream, but it was not possible to proceed," Romano said on his YouTube channel, via the Daily Mail. "They have had very positive contacts on Mudryk on the player's side, but then they decided not to proceed with Shakhtar because they wanted more than £40-£45million.
"Now Shakhtar want more than £60m-£65million. But Arsenal are still following the player. They consider Mudryk a top talent and so Arsenal are still there but let's see because now the race is open with many top clubs, but Arsenal will be busy in the next few weeks."
It appears as though the youngster is in fact very open to a move to Arsenal, who need more depth in their wide areas. Speaking to CBS Sports back in September, he said: "I think every guy dreams about the Premier League. It's hard to say [who his preferred move is], but Arsenal is a very good team, very good coach, I like the way they play."
When asked if he would make a move to the Emirates Stadium, he said: "From my side, I can't say no [to Arsenal]. But the transfer is not only my decision."
Whether Arsenal are interested in conjuring up a huge amount of money for the talented star remains to be seen, though.
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