Chelsea are looking to land a significant blow to London rivals Arsenal in the January transfer window by landing their number one target Mykhaylo Mudryk. That's according to a report from Calciomercato, which claims the Shakhtar Donetsk winger is one of a number of players profiled heading into the market.
It comes ahead of a potentially busy January for the Blues as they look to further strengthen the squad for a strong second half of the season. The emphasis under the new ownership regime appears to be signing quality youngsters for the future, though some will be able to have an immediate impact.
Mudryk would likely fit into this category, with the 21-year-old impressing for his club in the Champions League so far this campaign. Landing the winger would likely be a huge statement of intent from the new owners, given the long standing transfer saga surrounding him.
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That's because their rivals Arsenal have been following the Ukraine international over a deal since the summer, though they missed out at the time. With the Gunners making such a quick start to their season - sitting top of the Premier League by the World Cup break - January reinforcements seem likely.
Mudryk appears to be the initial priority target, though Shakhtar are said to be holding out for roughly £88million to let him leave in the window. The forward has also seemingly been pushing for a move, dropping countless hints over his desire to join Arsenal in the coming months.
In an interview with Vlada Zinchenko, wife of Gunners star Oleksandr Zinchenko, on YouTube, Mudryk opened up on his admiration for Arsenal's style of play and how he keeps up to date with their results. When asked which teams he thinks are playing nice football this season, the 21-year-old responded: "Napoli, they’re playing really well at the moment with some great players, Bayern, Man City and Arsenal."
He followed up by admitting that he checks the Gunners results regularly, saying: "Yeah. I check on them in 'myscore' and know when they’re playing I can check on them. I also watch them too. (Arsenal are) a very dynamic side, in general not just in controlling possession but also in scoring goals."
While everything seems geared towards a move to the Emirates Stadium in January or the summer, the intervention from the Blues could yet add another twist to the transfer tale.
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