Arsenal transfer target Mykhaylo Mudryk has been mocked by his Shakhtar Donetsk teammates amid continuous links with a move to the Premier League.
Mudryk was strongly linked with a move to both Arsenal and Brentford during the summer after a breakthrough season in his homeland. The Bees had a number of offers rejected by Shakhtar, but talks of a transfer have only increased ahead of January following his strong start to the season, with seven goals and seven assists in just 12 games.
Amid constant talk of a move to north London, one of his teammates says that it's accepted within the team's dressing room that the Ukrainian sensation is "already" an Arsenal player.
Speaking to Football 24, Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin said: “I like that he is focused only on himself, his and the team’s game. Fans don’t really see that much. No one sees what he is doing away from the football field.
“All these transfer rumours affect him only in a positive way, because he enjoys what he does. And, in the team, we can tell him; ‘well, you’re already at Arsenal, let’s all go!’”
Of his combined 14 goal contributions so far this season, three strikes and two assists have come in the Champions League, where Mudryk has really been able to perform on one of the biggest stages.
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After scoring one and assisting the other two in Shakhtar’s 3-1 opening day victory over RB Leipzig, the youngster also scored in each of his side’s 1-1 draws with Celtic. His goal at Parkhead received particular attention, with a long range effort wowing spectators.
Combined that has seen his price tag rise ahead of January, and Shakhtar chief Carlo Nicolini revealed that the Ukrainian champions now value Mudryk in excess of £85million - some £60million more than they rejected from Brentford three months ago..
Last month, he told Calciomercato : “Is €40million enough to buy him? We do not answer to these figures. Not even for fifty. We value Mudryk more than Manchester United ’s Antony, who cost €100million (£85m).”
Mudryk’s teammates may have already foreshadowed the 21-year-old’s future, who himself has previously stated that he has “great admiration for the style of Arsenal” and their “good and modern football”, hinting that it would not take much to persuade him to move to the capital.
