BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal’s £62m second bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk set to be REJECTED, with Chelsea now offering competition… and Shakhtar Donetsk see £100m Jack Grealish and £85m Antony as the barometer for a fee
- Arsenal continue to pursue a move for Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhaylo Mudryk
- The Ukrainian club are set to reject a second improved bid from the Gunners
- Arsenal initially bid £52m for Mudryk and have since returned with a £62m offer
- Chelsea are also now understood to be rivalling Arsenal in a move for Mudryk
Shakhtar Donetsk are expected to reject Arsenal’s improved bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk as Chelsea threaten to scupper the Gunners’ move for the Ukraine winger.
Negotiations are ongoing between Shakhtar and both Arsenal and their Premier League rivals over a January transfer.
Mudryk is Mikel Arteta’s primary target this month and Arsenal have made two bids for the Ukraine winger, who turns 22 tomorrow.
Shakhtar Donetsk are expected to reject Arsenal’s improved offer for Mykhaylo Mudryk
The first, believed to be worth around £52million, was turned down by Shakhtar, who publicly value Mudryk at around £88m.
Arsenal returned with an improved offer, understood to be worth up to £62m, and there was optimism that a deal would be agreed in this transfer window. But they could now face competition from Chelsea, who are understood to be exploring a possible move for Mudryk.
Sources in Ukraine have told Sportsmail that, with CEO Sergei Palkin now talking to both clubs, Shakhtar are likely to turn down Arsenal’s improved offer as it remains ‘far away’ from their €100m target.
Shakhtar are believed to value Mudryk at around €100m (£88m) with Chelsea also interested
Shakhtar see Jack Grealish’s £100m move to Manchester CIty and Antony’s £85m transfer to Manchester United as a barometer for any fee for Mudryk, who has shone so far this season
Darijo Srna, Shakhtar’s director of football, is said to be in England for talks over the coming days. The Croatian visits London fairly regularly, Sportsmail understands, because his family live in the city.
Chelsea are not believed to have tabled their own bid for Mudryk, as things stand, but their interest could force his price up. That is…