‘Pay the same as Grealish!’ - Shakhtar DEMAND €118m fee from Arsenal for Mudryk

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 28 Dec 2022 21:02 GMT
• 3 min read

Shakhtar Donetsk have rejected Arsenal’s €62 million bid for Mykhailo Mudryk and told the Gunners they will have to offer “closer to Jack Grealish’s transfer fee” if they want to sign the Ukrainian sensation.

Arsenal have made their first official offer for the Shakhtar Donetsk winger this week, offering a fixed fee of around €40m which can rise to €62m with bonuses.

However, Shakhtar have immediately rejected the bid and have told the Gunners that they expect a bid close to the €118m that Man City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021.

Premier League 2022/23 January transfers: All the Done Deals

Shakhtar boss on Arsenal and Mudryk?

Shakhtar vice director Carlo Nicolini told Calciomercato.it: "€60m is not enough to sign Mudryk.

“Our director said that we need a bid closer to the Grealish fee than Antony if we are to sell Mudryk.

"We're not even considering a bid with €40m as fixed fee.”

Man Utd signed Antony from Ajax for €100m this past summer, and so it seems that Arsenal will have to go even higher than this amount if they are to get their man.

Arsenal have made Mudryk their primary transfer target in January and are determined to get the deal done.

The 21-year-old is considered as one of the most exciting young wingers in Europe having burst onto the scene this year.

Arsenal were heavily linked with signing him in the closing days of the summer window but in the end the transfer didn’t materialise.

The young wide-man - who has been nicknamed "the Ukrainian Neymar" by fans – has been flirting with Arsenal continuously since the summer.

Mudryk has also received interest from Liverpool but the Anfield club have now signed Cody Gakpo from PSV instead.

Mudryk has been in fine form for Shakhtar this season, scoring eight goals and making 10 assists from 18 games.

Arsenal hope that Mudryk will help strengthen their chances of winning a first Premier League title since 2004.

The Gunners are currently seven points clear at the top of the table, although Man City can close the gap to five points on Wednesday evening.