Mykhaylo Mudryk's proposed move to Arsenal may be one of the worst kept secrets in football. The Gunners have been locked in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk over the past few days and a deal is said to be close, football.london understands.
It is understood that the move is edging closer to completion with talks now focusing on the structuring of the deal. Potential add-ons could be decisive, and it has been suggested that the fee for the Ukrainian could be in the region of £75-80million.
Despite talks continuing, Mudryk flew to Turkey with the rest of his Shakhtar teammates earlier this week as the Ukrainian side prepare for the second part of the season in Antalya from January 10 to February 9. Igor Jovicevic’s side will play their first friendly game against Austria Vienna on January 20.
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Mudryk and the rest of the Shakhtar side were hard at work on Saturday morning, lifting weights in the gym before going through some training drills outside. Posting on their official Instagram page, Shakhtar showed Mudryk in the gym on a lat pulldown machine.
Seeing the 22-year-old training will likely please Arsenal fans, as it will mean the winger will come to Emirates Stadium in good shape if a move were to be completed. Mikel Arteta was asked about the possibility of Mudryk coming to north London in his press conference on Friday afternoon, but the Spaniard refused to be drawn into the speculation.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur, Arteta said: "You know we cannot talk about any other players. There are some interests in what we’d like to do to improve the team because we’re short in certain areas and with injuries that picked. We are trying and as a club We are trying to improve in every window ."
When asked about Mudryk's social media activity, the Spaniard added: "I will tell you how good I am with the phone."
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