Arsenal have been told the price they must match if they want to secure a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhaylo Mudryk. The Gunners had a bid of £55million including add-ons rejected by Shakhtar as talks continue, football.london understands.
Mudryk is one of the hottest talents in Europe at the moment having impressed for Shakhtar Donetsk this season, registering 16 goal contributions in 16 appearances in all competitions. Mudryk's proposed transfer to Arsenal has become a long-running joke in the Shakhtar Donetsk changing room, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin revealed following the summer transfer window.
football.london understands that interest in the Ukraine international has existed for some time and the youngster isn't exactly playing down the prospect of a switch. The Ukrainian outfit had previously stated that they would not accept any bids that did not meet their initial £87.5million valuation.
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Shakhtar Donetsk vice director Carlo Nicolini has explained why Arsenal's £55million bid including add-ons for Mykhaylo Mudryk was rejected. Nicolini told Italian news outlet Calciomercato: "€60million (£53million) it's not enough to sign Mudryk."
Cody Gakpo was previously linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium but now is on the verge of completing a £37million transfer to Liverpool. Mudryk is considered to be valued at over double that price, but the Gunners are not giving up on signing the 21-year-old just yet with talks continuing.
Nicolini added: "Our director said that we need a bid closer to the Jack Grealish fee (£100million) than Antony (£86million) to sell Mudryk. We're not even considering a bid with €40million (£35million) as fixed fee."
Given Mudryk's age, current ability and high potential, Shakhtar believe they can command a similar fee to that of Grealish when the former Aston Villa star signed for Manchester City in a British record transfer deal worth £100million. Manchester United signed Antony from Ajax for £86million, yet Mudryk is younger and tipped to be a better player than the Brazilian after being compared to Vinicius Junior and Neymar.
The Ukrainian winger's contract is not set to expire until 2026 giving Shakhtar a huge advantage in negotiations despite the player's eagerness to move to the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal Sporting director Edu Gaspar has shown that he is capable of securing deals for good prices in the past, but he may need to up his offer significantly if the Gunners are to sign Mudryk in January.
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