Arsenal have reportedly lodged a bit for priority target Mykhaylo Mudryk as they prepare for a busy January transfer window.
Ukraine international Mudryk has attracted plenty of interest from big European clubs thanks to his form for Shakhtar, who set a price tag of €100m (£87m) before the turn of the year. Arsenal looked to have made the forward their priority, having already added his international team-mate Oleksandr Zinchenko to their ranks over the summer.
The initial offer from the Gunners is thought to be below that hefty asking price. Shakhtar may yet hold out for more, but the ball is now in the court of the Ukrainian giants.
According to football.london, citing reports in Ukraine, the bid is "decent and adequate". Other reports suggest the bid is worth up to €60m including add-ons, which would equal the record for a sale by a Ukrainian club, set when Shakhtar sold Fred to Manchester United in 2018. According to the Guardian, the offer falls well short of Shakhtar's demands, with the team still holding out for north of £80m.
The size of the reported fee it put into greater focus when you consider most of the biggest sales from Ukraine's top flight apply to foreign players. The most expensive sale of a Ukrainian player by a Ukrainian club is the €25m which took defender Dmytro Chygrynskyy to Barcelona back in 2009, a sum matched when Andriy Yarmolenko joined Borussia Dortmund eight years later.
Mudryk admitted to being "shocked" by the earlier figures quoted. He spoke of his commitment to Shakhtar, while also explaining his stance.
Will Arsenal land Mudryk in January? Have your say in the comments section
"I have a long-term contract with Shakhtar [set to expire in December 2026]," Mudryk told Sport Arena in November. "I give all my strength and energy so that Shakhtar achieves maximum results... but every football player has a dream to play in a top club and in a top championship - I am no exception.
"But I am 100 per cent sure that they are unlikely to buy a player from the championship of Ukraine for 100 million... I will not hide that I was very upset. The amount of 100 million puts a barrier for my transition to the top championship, which I so dreamed of. I can't say that my dream was killed, but wounded - that's for sure."
Mudryk, who turns 22 in January, scored his first senior goal in September 2021 but has kicked on in a big way this season under new manager Igor Jovicevic. The wide forward has 11 goals from 19 appearances in all competitions, including Champions League efforts in home and away fixtures against Celtic.
