Shakhtar Donetsk are reportedly set to demand £25million for the services of Arsenal target Mykhaylo Mudryk as the Gunners eye a late transfer.
The Ukrainian winger has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium over the final days of the transfer window. It was reported that the Gunners were interested in making a move for the 21-year-old - who could become a replacement for Ivorian wideman Nicolas Pepe after he was allowed to depart on-loan for Nice.
It remains to be seen whether the North Londoners will be able to seal a deal for Mudryk with just over 48 hours to go in the window. The Gunners have already spent heavily this window with a total outlay of £120m.
They have been told that it would cost a fair chunk to secure his signature. As per CBS, his Shakhtar are ‘ideally wanting’ £25m for the winger, whilst negotiations between the two clubs started at ‘almost £10m apart in valuation’.
It is down to the Gunners to up their offer for Mudryk if they hope to seal a deal before the summer window closes. If they do that, the Ukrainian winger will finally get his Premier League move having previously been strongly linked with a switch to Brentford - a move that broke down.
Speaking at the time, the Ukrainian said: "I want to thank Brentford for the offers.
How many more signings do Arsenal need to make before the end of the window? Share your thoughts in the comments below
"To end up in the Premier League at 20-years-old is fantastic but the final decision is down to the club president. Had the offer come in a year or 18 months ago, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought - I’d have asked the club to let me go without hesitation.
"To end up in the Premier League, aged 20 is amazing. But since [Darijo] Srna & [Roberto] De Zerbi [Shakhtar coaches] took charge everything has changed. I have support.
"I currently have a long contract and all of my thoughts are tied to Shakhtar. I will use all my power to help the side win in all competitions that we are taking part in."
Should he seal a move to Arsenal over the coming days, Mudryk would leave Shakhtar with just 28 first team appearances. Over those outings, he has scored twice and notched 10 assists. Those displays have seen him draw comparisons with Brazil star Neymar.
The youngster still has just over four years left on his contract with the club. Whilst Mudryk has been identified as a potential signing for Arsenal over the closing days of the window, they do have alternatives for wide positions - most notably Wolves star Pedro Neto. However, the Portuguese looks likely to cost considerably more than Mudryk should the Gunners pursue his services.
