Arsenal are said to not understand Shakhtar Donetsk's high valuation of January transfer target Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The Gunners are tipped to be busy in January as they look to stay in front in the Premier League title race. The loss of Gabriel Jesus, who faces a spell on the sidelines after knee surgery, means attacking reinforcements are the order of the day.
Ukraine star Mudryk is among the targets, with Arsenal's opening gambit of around £55m including add-ons falling short of Shakhtar's valuation. Talks between the clubs are ongoing, but Mikel Arteta's side are not convinced by the €100m asking price from the selling club.
"As we’ve always said, to deal with Mudryk you need to make an important offer,". Shakhtar assistant sporting director Carlo Nicolini told Calciomercato (via Sport Witness ). " Arsenal may have made such an offer, but there is a negotiation.
"Players have been sold that clubs wanted to sell and that we believe are no stronger than Mudryk with a valuation of around €100 million, so the €60m is not enough." While Nicolini did not name names in this instance, Mudryk has been likened to Antony and Jack Grealish, both of whom moved for similar figures over the last two summers.
According to Sportanalytic, Arsenal's surprise at the asking price is related to Mudryk's relatively limited experience. The 21-year-old has yet to play in a top-five European league, or in a major international tournament, though his form for Shakhtar has been impressive.
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Mudryk recorded three goals and two assists in the Champions League as Shakhtar finished third in their group behind Real Madrid and RB Leipzig, netting both home and away against Celtic. He also has eight senior Ukraine caps, including appearances from the bench in both World Cup play-off games as his country beat Scotland before falling short against Wales.
He scored seven goals in eight games before the World Cup break, helping Shakhtar close the gap on Ukrainian league leaders Dnipro-1. The youngster also has six league assists this term, including three in a 6-1 victory over Metalist Kharkiv.
"Talks for Mudryk are on," Shakhtar CEO Serhiy Palkin said. "We receive offers but not the ones we would like to see on our table.
"I'll speak again to Arsenal so yes, we are open to discussing fees and ideas. If we will agree, then let it be so. If we will not, then let it be another time. Now, literally in five minutes, I will have a new phone call conversation with Arsenal for the Mykhaylo Mudryk deal."
If Arsenal decide to turn their attentions elsewhere, one of the names in the mix is Portugal forward Joao Felix. The Atletico Madrid star could be available on loan, though manager Diego Simeone admitted he will continue to call upon him while he remains available for selection.
