Arsenal's interest in Mykhaylo Mudryk has been known for a while now, but Shakhtar Donetsk are not going to be easy negotiators.
Amid such interest, it appears as though the youngster is very open to a move to Arsenal, who would need more depth in their wide areas. Speaking to CBS Sports, he said: "I think every guy dreams about the Premier League. It's hard to say [who his preferred move is] but Arsenal is a very good team, very good coach, I like the way they play."
When asked if he would make a move to the Emirates he said: "From my side, I can't say no [to Arsenal]. But the transfer is not only my decision."
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Whilst the window only recently closed, it won't be long until it is open in January once again for clubs to bolster. That could allow the Gunners to finally make their move for Mudryk.
However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Shakhtar are planning on holding out for a huge fee, especially after Ajax managed to sell Antony - a winger who is a year older than Mudryk - to Manchester United for €100 million (£86.8million).
The Italian transfer guru said on Que Golazo, as cited by HITC: “I think in the future there is a chance for Arsenal, but only Arsenal. They had a very big chance in the summer.
“When I was speaking to my sources during the summer about Mudryk to understand what’s going to happen with clubs around Europe, they told me from Shakhtar, they really think this guy is worth way more than €30 million (£26million).
“They received a proposal on the final week of the transfer window, €30 million plus add-ons from Everton. And they decided to say no after Antony to Manchester United for €100 million.
“They said, ‘For us, Mudryk can’t be sold for €30, or €35 (£30.3million), or €40 million (£34.7million) We want way more than this’. So this is why in the end they decided to keep the player, because they are convinced that they are going to sell him for crazy, crazy money.”
Romano concluded: “Arsenal have a chance for the future, but there will be many other clubs in the race. It is not going to be an easy one.”
Shakhtar have evidently been encouraged by the fact that Ajax were able to hold out for such an enormous fee for Antony. That in turn could price Arsenal out of a move. Edu has been extremely stringent in relation to Arsenal's spending in recent windows in order to ensure that the Gunners pay the right price for a target rather than overspend in what is an inflated market.
The Brazilian is unlikely to waver on that policy moving forward, so if Shakhtar don't change their approach, it will be difficult to agree upon a fee.
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