Chelsea are set to hijack Arsenal’s pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk after agreeing a €100m deal with Shakhtar Donetsk for the winger, sources have told ESPN.
The offer includes a fixed fee of 70 million euros and additional parts of 30 million euros, which correspond to the Ukrainian club’s assessment of the transfer of the 22-year-old man.
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ESPN reported on Friday that Arsenal had made a third bid for Mudryk, but Chelsea were still expected to make a bid of their own despite Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season.
Sources have told ESPN that Chelsea offered Mudryk a better salary package and a longer contract than what Arsenal offered. The sources also said that the 30 million euro bonuses are within easy reach.
In a statement on Saturday, Chelsea confirmed they are “in discussions with Shakhtar Donetsk regarding the terms of the transfer of Mykhailo Mudryk”.
“Should an agreement be reached between the two clubs, the Ukraine international, who can operate as a winger or forward, will discuss personal terms with the Blues prior to a permanent transfer,” the statement read.
Arsenal have been successful most of the time in their attempts to sign Mudryk, who had hinted in several social media posts that he was open to a move to the Emirates Stadium.
However, a source familiar with the deal told ESPN that Arsenal were still trying to negotiate a fee structure and various performance-related achievements that would make up the add-ons.
In the meantime, Chelsea have moved quickly. The club’s delegation, which included Behdad Eghbali, who represents co-owners Clearlake Capital, and Paul Winstanley, head of global talent and transfers, flew to Turkey for face-to-face talks with Shakhtar representatives.
Discussions progressed quickly and Chelsea are now confident of agreeing personal terms with the player.
Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal always felt the player wanted to join them, but Chelsea are in advanced talks with Mudryk’s representatives over a long-term deal.
On Saturday, Shakhtar released a brief statement confirming a deal was close.
The statement read: “FC Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov and Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali discussed the transfer of Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea FC today. The parties are very close to agreeing on the transfer of the player to the club.”
Information from ESPN’s Julien Laurens contributed to this report.
