Arsenal's interest in signing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk has been the talk of the town during the January window.
Mudryk has enjoyed a stellar start to the 2022/23 season, netting ten goals and providing a further nine assists across all competitions - including five direct goal contributions in six UEFA Champions League fixtures. That kind of form hasn't gone unnoticed either, with the talented attacker attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League, particularly from the Gunners and London rivals Chelsea.
Interest from Graham Potter's side appears to have cooled in recent times but talk of a move to the Emirates Stadium has only gotten louder in recent days. So, with that being, football.london has taken a look at all the latest chatter linking the speedy wideman with a move to the north Londoners.
READ MORE: Arsenal table third Mykhaylo Mudryk bid as major January transfer edges 'closer'
Deal agreed
Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk on a seven year deal according to reports. The forward has been a major target for Arsenal since the summer but the Gunners fell short of meeting his lofty evaluation.
The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano are both reporting that a deal has been agreed between the two parties. It is also said that his medical at Cobham has been arranged and that he will be in London on Saturday night.
Chelsea hijack
It has been understood for several months that Chelsea were keen to explore the opportunity of signing Mudryk should it arise but with Arsenal so firmly in the driving seat it has looked unlikey. After yet another loss Chelsea are now ramping up those efforts and have travelled to Poland to try and get a verbal agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Fabrizio Romano writes on Twitter that a €100m (£88m) bid is being readied. That is closer to the Ukrainian club's valuation of the player, with Arsenal's third bid worth around €95m (£84m.)
The transfer guru tweeted: "Chelsea board now in Poland trying to reach verbal agreement with Shakhtar for Mudryk and hijack the deal! Official bid ready close to €100m (£88m).
"Arsenal always been leading the race, in talks with Shakhtar after 3d official bid. Mudryk position, now crucial."
He also added: "Chelsea board arrived today in Poland to open talks with Shakhtar on €100m deal for Mudryk, #CFC want to be fast in club to club negotiation.
"Arsenal always had player preference but no green light after €95m bid, yet."
Shakhtar's English Twitter account have responded to the latest set of rumours with a single eyes emoji.
Potential debut
Mudryk won't be involved against Arsenal's local rivals Tottenham Hotspur this weekend after the deadline passed for new signings to be registered and The Times have now reported that the Gunners are confident of wrapping up a deal in the region of £80 million in time for the 22-year-old to be in contention to make his debut against Manchester United next weekend.
Read more here.
Deal progresses
Arsenal are edging closer to completing a deal with Shakhtar for Mudryk, football.london understands.
It is now understood that the move is edging closer to completion with talks now focusing on the structuring of the deal. Potential add-ons could be decisive, but it is thought that negotiations are heading in the right direction.
Fresh bid lodged
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have submitted a fresh bid for Mudryk, worth €70million (£62million) plus add-ons. This is the third offer tabled by the north Londoners after their initial two bids were turned down by Shakhtar in recent weeks.
Mudryk then took to social media following news of the offer, putting up an Instagram story of a praying emoji. The 22-year-old may have been indicating that he is hoping the Ukrainian side accept the bid and let him join the Gunners.
Arsenal CEO claim
Arsenal's Chief Executive Officer Vinai Venkatesham has provided a number of updates on the Gunners' dealings in the January transfer window, but refused to comment on the ongoing Mykhaylo Mudryk saga.
When pushed about specific plans for Mudryk, Venkatesham said: "You know the answer I’m going to give you. We’re not going to talk about specific players."
Shakhtar post
Shakhtar's official Twitter account has a video of Mudryk in the gym during their winter training camp in Turkey. The comments section was of course flooded with pleas for the player to join Arteta and Co in north London.
Contract 'agreed'
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Arsenal are 'smoothing out the last differences before the final agreement' with Shakhtar for Mudryk. The report goes on to claim that the potential fee may come close to between €70million (£62million) and €80million (£71 million).
The player is also said to have already agreed on a €2million-per-year contract (£1.77million) with the Gunners.
Latest claim
Transfer guru Jorge Baravalle, who broke the news that Willian would be leaving Arsenal for Corinthians back in 2021, has now claimed on social media that Mudryk will be a Gunner.
Taking to Twitter, Baravalle said: "Mudryk will be an Arsenal player. Arteta is left with one of the jewels of European football."
Mudryk with Shakhtar squad for winter training camp
Mudryk is set to travel to Turkey with the Shakhtar squad for a winter training camp, despite the Gunners seemingly finding a breakthrough in negotiations.
Mudryk and the rest of his Shakhtar team-mates are due to fly at 10am local time from Rzeszow in Poland to Antalya on the south coast of Turkey, according to The Athletic. Mudryk was part of the team that travelled over the Ukrainian border into Poland on Tuesday morning ahead of the flight.
Arsenal close in on £88m 'full agreement'
According to Italian outlet FootMercato, the Gunners have taken a huge step towards securing a 'full agreement' for the 22-year-old's signing.
The Kroenke family are said to have given the green light for sporting director Edu Gaspar to meet Shakhtar's transfer demands. The two clubs are still discussing bonuses, but are edging closer to an agreement on a transfer fee which could be around €100million (£88million).
Mikel Arteta transfer hint
Talks are set to continue throughout the week after Arteta highlighted the lack of squad depth in attack available to him as he started Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah in the FA Cup win against Oxford. Speaking after the victory, Arteta said: "The problem is that we have only one striker and to cope for that many months until Gabby [Gabriel Jesus] is back is not easy.
"But we have to get the most out of the players that we have at the moment. If we can have some reinforcements, great."
Arteta's comments may be a message to Arsenal's hierarchy to get a deal for Mudryk done ahead of the North London Derby this weekend.
Teammates chatter
According to transfer guru Ben Jacobs, some of Mudryk's teammates at Shakhtar have been joking that he is already an Arsenal player. Speaking to Give Me Sport about the 22-year-old's future, Jacobs said: “Arsenal is his dream.
"Arsenal is the club he has been watching. Arsenal is the club that his teammates are joking he’s already joined.”
Arsenal confidence
Arsenal are confident of securing a deal for Mudryk in the coming weeks, according to Fabrizio Romano in his Caught Offside column. The transfer reporter claimed: “Of course Arsenal are confident, and Arteta too, but reaching an agreement with Shakhtar is crucial, they were so strong in negotiations also in August when they turned down €30million from Everton when it sounded like a great bid.
“No deadlines have been mentioned in the negotiations, as of now; talks continue.”
Mudryk's preference
Transfer expert Graeme Bailey has now reported that a move to the Emirates remains Mudryk's preference despite interest from Chelsea in recent times. Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, Bailey said: “He wants to go to Arsenal, he’s made that clear over the past 24 hours as well from our understanding.
"Arsenal are not too amused by Chelsea coming in. You can’t stop them from talking to Darijo Srna, but there is a belief in the Arsenal camp that it will get done.
"I think Shakhtar will come back down, there is a belief that agreement will come and Mudryk will get his wish of joining the title-challengers Arsenal."
Mudryk agent breaks silence on transfer
The agent of Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, Alexey Alekhin, has spoken out about his client's future amid links to both Arsenal and Chelsea. The 22-year-old has made it no secret of his admiration for Mikel Arteta's side, consistently admitting that he is a huge fan of the Gunners.
However, Alekhin has played down any chatter of him leaving Shakhtar, making it clear that the Ukrainian club holds all cards at this moment in time. Speaking to Sport Arena, he said: “Mudryk is a Shakhtar player and the decision on his transfer will be made by the board of the club.
"Mykhaylo is now preparing to go with Shakhtar to the training camp."
Man Utd influence
The Ukrainian outfit have publicly demanded £85million for their star player, a similar fee to what Manchester United paid for Antony in the summer. Shakhtar Donetsk vice director Carlo Nicolini told Italian news outlet Calciomercato: "€60million (£53million) it's not enough to sign Mudryk.
"Our director said that we need a bid closer to the Jack Grealish fee (£100million) than Antony (£86million) to sell Mudryk. We're not even considering a bid with €40million (£35million) as a fixed fee."
Shakhtar chiefs on more than one occasion have said Mudryk is a better player than Antony and value him at the same amount as the Brazilian, with the 22-year-old being compared to Paris Saint-Germain superstars Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Nicolini told Calcio Napoli 24: "We’re not in a hurry to sell Mudryk, we don’t need money.
"We consider Mykhaylo stronger than Antony so you can now understand the value - the price tag is clear."
Mudryk has played fewer than 50 matches for the Shakhtar first team, meaning he is an unproven quantity but his performances in the Champions League have resulted in Premier League interest. United had to pay a larger fee than they initially wanted to in order to convince Ajax to sell Antony in the summer, now the Gunners may have to do the same to get Mudryk and aid their Premier League title charge.
Chelsea have Shakhtar meeting
According to The Sun, Chelsea are set to make a last ditch attempt to sign the Ukraine international ahead of their London rivals with Shakhtar Donetsk chief Darijo Srna set to travel to the English capital this week. The Ukrainian club have publicly demanded a fee close to £85million, with the Gunners' latest offer of £62million falling well below their asking price.
The report claims that Arsenal have already agreed personal terms over a five-year deal, worth around £120,000-per-week, with the player himself having dropped huge hints that he wants to move to the Emirates Stadium. Chelsea could beat their rivals to a deal should they agree to meet the asking price with a bid in the region of £60million, with another £20million included in add-ons.
Mudryk 'expects' Arsenal transfer
The north London outfit were in Dubai during the World Cup as Arteta led a warm-weather training camp for those players not involved in the tournament in Qatar. Mudryk had been spotted in Dubai at the same time, intensifying speculation that he could be seal a move to north London in January.
The Shakhtar Donetsk wide man was pictured on the beach in the Gulf State as Arsenal took part in the Dubai Cup and a report from the Daily Mail has suggested that Mudryk had told friends during the trip that he 'expects' to move to the Gunners this month. The 21-year-old has already dropped huge hints of a desire to move to Arsenal, including when he posted images of himself watching the Premier League leaders beat West Ham and Brighton.
Long-term contract 'agreed'
Ukrainian outlet Sport Arena reports that a fee is still yet to be agreed with Shakhtar, but a five-year contract has been finalised with the winger and the Gunners are set to return with an improved offer. Edu has been urged to secure a deal for Mudryk as quickly as possible by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher who believes the 21-year-old would be a 'really exciting' signing.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has urged Arsenal to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk. The former Reds defender said: "They’re after Mykhaylo Mudryk, when I’ve seen him play in the Champions League, he’s been left wing and Gabriel Martinelli is there right now, he’s been outstanding. Maybe one of them will go through the middle?
"If they want to compete with Manchester City – and they are doing that right now but I’m talking about in all competitions and for the next few years like Liverpool have done – you need options from the bench. Mikel Arteta knows that better than anyone from his time at Manchester City and I think Mudryk would be a really exciting signing from what we’ve seen in the Champions League."
Ballon d'Or prediction
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has insisted he believes Mudryk can win the Ballon d'Or in the future.
Mudryk worked under De Zerbi during his time at Shakhtar and discussed the forward ahead of this weekend's clash with Arsenal.
He said: "Mudryk is a fantastic player, I think he can win the Ballon d'Or in the future. I like him as my ex-player but now I'm Brighton coach, and Brighton can't buy Mudryk."
CEO claim
Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin has revealed that fresh talks are now live between his club and Arsenal over a transfer for winger Mykhaylo Mudryk. Palkin told club media: "Now, literally in five minutes, I will have a phone conversation with Arsenal. We are open to negotiations, ready to exchange ideas and figures. If we will agree, then let it be so.”
Shakhtar make £100m demand
Shakhtar Donetsk vice director Carlo Nicolini has explained why Arsenal's £55million bid including add-ons for Mykhaylo Mudryk was rejected. Nicolini told Italian news outlet Calciomercato: "€60million (£53million) it's not enough to sign Mudryk."
Cody Gakpo was previously linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium but now is on the verge of completing a £37million transfer to Liverpool. Mudryk is considered to be valued at over double that price, but the Gunners are not giving up on signing the 21-year-old just yet with talks continuing.
Nicolini added: "Our director said that we need a bid closer to the Jack Grealish fee (£100million) than Antony (£86million) to sell Mudryk. We're not even considering a bid with €40million (£35million) as fixed fee."
Watching on TV
Arsenal transfer target Mykhaylo Mudryk has made his stance very clear on a possible move after posting a video on Instagram of him watching Mikel Arteta's side play on TV.
In a video posted on his Instagram story, Mudryk is watching Arsenal play West Ham in the first Premier League match back at the Emirates Stadium. The game is on his iPad and was filmed in time to see Eddie Nketiah's goal to make it 3-1 with the recording taken just before the striker slotted past Lukas Fabianski.
Official bid made
Arsenal have made an official bid for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, football.london understands. The winger has been linked with a move to the Gunners in January, having missed out on a deal to sign him late in the summer transfer window.
A report from journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that a bid worth €40million (£35.2million) plus €20million (£17.6million) add-ons (£53million in total) are the figures currently tabled.
Fresh Shakhtar claim
The latest news surrounding Mudryk has seen Shakhtar Vice Director Carlo Nicolini officially name Arsenal as an interested party and give their star player a significant ultimatum.
Speaking to CalcioMercato, he said: "Mudryk has received the message, like other players, to show up for Antalya training camp on January 9. There is interest from Arsenal for him, but we’ve not received official bids."
Shakhtar Donetsk chief gives huge update
Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin has revealed he is unsure whether Mudryk will leave the club in the January transfer window.
Speaking to The Athletic, he said: "To be honest, I do not know. At the moment, we are quite far from what we want and what clubs propose.
"It’s not so far but it is not what we need. We have discussions. One club, another club, they negotiate. We are in the process. Will it close this month? I don’t know. It is maybe 50-50 with regards to the winter transfer window. I don’t want to talk about figures now. We are in discussions. We have interest from some English clubs and we are in the process."
Shakhtar Director and Mudryk agent comment
Shakhtar's Director of Football Dario Srna has recently commented on a potential transfer which would see Mudryk leave the Ukrainian club, suggesting that it is not Shakhtar who are determining the price of Mudryk, but instead the current football transfer market.
“The market is deciding the price, not me. Antony, (Jack) Grealish," he told The Athletic. They are players of more than €100million (£88.7million) and for me, Mudryk does not have less quality than them. This is the last two transfers in the past year, in more or less the same positions.
"Mykhaylo has a contract with Shakhtar, he works hard in training and gives his all in games," said Oleksiy Alyokhin, the agent of Mudryk. "Mykhaylo has a long-term contract with the club and I think that he made a big contribution to the team's successful performance both in the championship and in the Champions League.
"He is a young and very ambitious guy. It can be seen with the naked eye that he outgrew the championship of Ukraine a long time ago and is ready to perform at a more serious level. He needs to progress."
Transfer hint dropped in interview
In an interview with Vlada Zinchenko, wife of Gunners star Oleksandr Zinchenko, on YouTube, Mudryk opened up on his admiration for Arsenal's style of play and how he keeps up to date with their results. When asked which teams he thinks are playing nice football this season, the 21-year-old responded: "Napoli, they’re playing really well at the moment with some great players, Bayern, Man City and Arsenal."
He followed up by admitting that he checks the Gunners results regularly, saying: "Yeah. I check on them in 'myscore' and know when they’re playing I can check on them.
"I also watch them too. (Arsenal are) a very dynamic side, in general not just in controlling possession but also in scoring goals."
Watch here.
Shakhtar joke
Mudryk's proposed transfer to Arsenal has become a long-running joke in the Shakhtar Donetsk changing room, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin has revealed.
Trubin has insisted the rumours of Mudryk moving to north London have had a positive impact on the forward, with the Shakhtar squad constantly teasing him about the Gunners. He told Football24, via talkSPORT: "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!'"
Read more here.
Transfer wish
It appears that the youngster is very open to a move to Arsenal, who need more depth in their wide areas. Speaking to CBS Sports back in September, 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, a very good coach. I like the way they play."
When asked if he would make a move to the Emirates Stadium, he said: "From my side, I can't say no [to Arsenal]. But the transfer is not only my decision."
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