Mykhailo Mudryk was directly made aware by Shakhtar Donetsk in the last few days of Chelsea’s growing interest with a deal very close after the two clubs reached an agreement, according to The Athletic.
The 22-year-old has reportedly been a key target of Arsenal, who are said to be the player’s preferred destination as well, so many expected him to join Mikel Arteta’s side this month.
However, after a bold transfer strategy by Chelsea, Mudryk may now end up on the other side of London.
As previously also confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, senior Chelsea executives, including co-owner Behdad Eghbali, flew to Turkey, where Shakhtar are holding a training camp, to try to reach a deal for Mudryk.
They did.
The Athletic claims both sides agreed on a fixed fee of €70million (£62m) with a further €30m (£26.5m) in add-ons.
This is not significantly above the €70m plus “significant” add-ons that Arsenal reportedly offered to Shakhtar (ESPN), but details matter.
The quality of the add-ons and the speed of the payments in any potential deal for Mudryk are said to be a priority for Shakhtar.
Now Chelsea have the green light from Shakhtar, it is time for them to shifting their focus to the player side.
Agreeing personal terms with Mudryk could still prove difficult, but the last few days may have changed the situation in Chelsea’s favour.
According to The Athletic, during this period, Mudryk was informed directly by Shakhtar of Chelsea’s interest which led to the player’s being open to joining the Blues.
The Ukraine international has even reportedly flown to London for a potential medical and to discuss further details with Chelsea, who are ready to offer him a seven-and-a-half-year deal.
Interestingly, the report also mentions that Graham Potter himself is driving the deal as he admires Mudryk as a player.
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