Arsenal forced into Mykhaylo Mudryk U-turn as Chelsea plot surprise £62m transfer hijack

Arsenal remain locked in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk over a transfer move for Mykhaylo Mudryk and could now face competition from London rivals Chelsea for his signature

Arsenal forced into Mykhaylo Mudryk U-turn as Chelsea plot surprise £62m transfer hijack.
UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS – JULY 30: Mykhaylo Mudryk of Shakhtar Donetsk looks on during the Pre Season Friendly match between FC Utrecht and FK Sjachtar Donetsk at the Stadion Galgenwaard on July 30, 2022 in Utrecht, Netherlands (Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Arsenal have submitted a second bid for Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhaylo Mudryk worth a fee in the region of £62million. The Gunners are prioritising a move for the 21-year-old but now face late competition from London rivals Chelsea.

Gary Neville and Paul Merson both agreed that Mikel Arteta needs another attacker if Arsenal are going to win the Premier League title. The north London outfit extended their advantage at the top of the table to seven points following wins over West Ham and Brighton, with Manchester City dropping points against Everton.

Eddie Nketiah has proved to be a capable replacement for the injured Gabriel Jesus since the Premier League resumed on Boxing Day, scoring in back-to-back games. The Brazilian is set to be sidelined until February, but with games coming thick and fast, Arteta will need to use his entire squad to manage the fixture congestion.

Graham Potter is in need of reinforcements in the January transfer window if Chelsea are to stand a chance of securing a top four spot come the end of the season. The Blues are looking to add a new striker, central midfielder, centre-back and right wing-back to the squad, with Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile close to completing a £33million switch to Stamford Bridge, football.london understands.

Arsenal will be hoping that Chelsea do not beat them to Mudryk’s signature given the fact that the Ukraine international seemingly has his heart set on a move to the Emirates Stadium. Shakhtar have publicly stated that they want a fee in the region of £85million for their star attacker and negotiations are proving difficult to complete for sporting director Edu Gaspar.

The Gunners’ first two bids fall short of the Ukrainian outfit’s demands but Sky Sports now claim that the club have made a U-turn and could make another high offer, closer to the £85million mark. This could see Arsenal pay more money upfront in a deal and less in terms of add-ons, yet Chelsea’s financial power could give them the upper hand in terms of transfer fee and the salary package they could offer Mudryk.

The north Londoners are said to have already agreed a five-year contract with the 21-year-old, worth around £120,000-per-week. Edu’s hand may be forced into offering a significantly higher fee if Arsenal are to secure a deal for Mudryk in January and avoid their priority target joining a rival club.