Don't Miss

Shakhtar director confirms Arsenal’s interest in Mudryk

By Ritayan Chatterjee on October 27, 2022

Shakhtar Donetsk’s sporting director Carlo Nicolini has spoken out about Arsenal’s interest in Mykhaylo Mudryk and says that the Gunners will have to break the bank in order to purchase the talented winger.

The 21-year-old has burst onto the scene in recent times after displaying excellent performances so far in the Champions League this season, scoring three goals and notching up two assists in five appearances.

Reports emerged towards the final few days of the summer transfer window that the north London club were eyeing a move for the highly-rated forward, but they never made a concrete approach to sign him.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian has continued to be linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium in recent times ahead of the January transfer window and Shakhtar’s sporting director Nicolini has now revealed that Arsenal are indeed keen on signing Mudryk.

Speaking to Calciomercatoweb.it‘s TVPLAY program, Nicolini said Mudryk has been attracting plenty of interest from around Europe, while Arsenal have been mentioned as a potential suitor along with fellow Premier League club Manchester City.

Shakhtar’s sporting director further states that they wouldn’t be persuaded into selling their star man by an offer of around £34-43m in January, but rather they value Mudryk more than what Manchester United paid for Antony last summer, which was around £87m.

Mudryk to Arsenal

Nicolini said:

“There are many English candidates, there is the Spanish on duty, the French on duty, but now it takes the right amount to take him[Mudryk] away. Together with Mbappè, Leao and Vinicius, Mudryk is the strongest player in that role.

“Is €40 million enough to buy him? We do not speak to these figures. Not even for fifty, we don’t even call the president to make the offer. We value Mudryk more than Manchester United’s Antony, paid €100 million.

“Floating between Arsenal and Manchester City? They are two teams that have taken an interest in the player. But there are also other clubs that can spend right away. We are not obliged to sell, we do not want to make phenomena.”

Mudryk would be a very good acquisition for Arsenal, given the youngster has already showcased his qualities at the elite level of European football and displaying signs of becoming a world-class player going forward. However, it would be almost impossible for the Emirates outfit to sign the Ukrainian in January if Shakhtar stay firm on their unrealistic £87m valuation.

The Gunners have seemingly been looking to purchase a new winger in the winter transfer window and the Shakhtar man has widely been touted as a potential target. But, they might have to shift their focus from the 21-year-old to the other options if the Ukrainian giants don’t lower their asking price, given a recent report claimed that Mikel Arteta would be backed with just £50m to spend in January with the Spanish boss wanting to bring in a new wide attacker as well as a midfielder with that budget.

So, it will be interesting to see whether Arsenal would go for Mudryk in the winter window. The Ukrainian could be a great signing for the Gunners, but not for the mentioned £87m fee.