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Arsenal told they may need to pay club-record £87.75m fee to sign player 'as good as Antony or Grealish'

Arsenal told they may need to pay club-record £87.75m fee to sign player 'as good as Antony or Grealish'

Arsenal have been told they need to pay a huge fee to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhailo Mudryk.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

Shakhtar Donetsk sporting director Darijo Srna has told Arsenal that they will need to pay a huge fee to sign Mykhailo Mudryk.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with the winger in recent months, with Mikel Arteta keen to recruit a forward player to complement the side's existing attacking options.

The Gunners were in talks with Shakhtar over the summer to sign the 21-year-old, but Fabrizio Romano has since claimed they pulled out of the deal due to concerns over the €40-45m asking price.

Already a senior Ukraine international, Mudryk starred in two Champions League ties against Real Madrid this season.

And when Shakhtar faced the same opposition last season, he received a standing ovation from the Bernabeu faithful when he was substituted, as a result of his performance.

Mudryk has spoken about his future in recent days, and told Ukrainian TV presenter Vlada Sedan - the wife of Gunners star Oleksandr Zinchenko - about his views on Arsenal: "Yeah, I check on them on MyScore [football scores app], and when they're playing, I can check on them.

"I also watch them too. They are a very dynamic side in general, not just in controlling possession, but also in scoring goals."

Now, Shakhtar legend Srna has told Arsenal what they need to do to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.

Darijo Srna on Mudryk interest

Speaking to The Athletic, Srna said: "If somebody wants to buy Mudryk, they must pay huge, huge money. Otherwise the president of the club will not sell him.

"All the clubs must respect the president, respect Shakhtar and, in the end, they must respect Mykhailo Mudryk, who is one of the best players I saw. The price is so big."

He also referenced the sales of Antony and Jack Grealish to Man Utd and Man City respectively as justification for the high asking price, and says Mudryk is worth more than €100m (around £87.75m).

He explained: "The market is deciding the price - not me.

"Antony, Grealish, they are players of more than €100m 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."

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Premier League

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.