12 January 2023 , 00:34
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Shakhtar Donetsk may have slapped a huge £88million price tag on Mykhaylo Mudryk due to FIFA's controversial transfer ruling.
Arsenal are in talks to sign Mudryk, 22, from Shakhtar in January but are struggling to agree a fee with the Ukrainian club. Shakhtar have already rejected two offers in the region of £52m and £62m from the Gunners, despite the player's desire to join Mikel Arteta's side.
Chelsea are also believed to be interested in signing Mudryk, although his preferred choice is a move to the Emirates. The Ukraine international is one of the most sought after players in Europe after scoring 10 goals and providing eight assists for Shakhtar this term.
As highlighted by The Independent, Shakhtar may have lost millions of pounds in potential sales after FIFA ruled that foreigners at Ukrainian clubs could suspend their contracts due to the ongoing war. Russia launched a widescale invasion of Ukraine 11 months ago.
Shakhtar lost a number of Brazilian stars due to the ruling - including Tete, Maycon, Vinicius Tobias and Vitao. As their contracts are suspended and not cancelled, there is a possibility they could return to the Ukrainian club in the upcoming summer transfer window.
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Yet there is no guarantee Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine will come to an end in the near future. As such, Shakhtar cannot be certain those players will eventually return.
Mykhaylo Mudryk is Arsenal's primary transfer target (Getty Images)Do you think Arsenal will sign Mykhaylo Mudryk in January? Let us know in the comments below!
It's believed Shakhtar are considering suing FIFA for £43m due to their ruling - and they will not be the only club left out of pocket due to the governing body's decision. Shakhtar's CEO Sergei Palkin has previously made his feelings known about the matter.
Palkin has said: "We contacted the legal department at FIFA and said, 'It's very complicated, let's work out the situation'. But they completely ignored our letter.
"No answer at all... It's ridiculous. Its negligence of the decision-making process. They should consult all parties, especially the Ukrainian clubs. All the European organisations support Ukraine. How is it possible to behave like this?"
Palkin added: "You need to pay to clubs up to €50million in debts. From another one, they have stolen our players. What should we do? They just kill us. Nobody paid attention, nobody asked us... FIFA penetrated our financial ecosystem and destroyed everything."
Mudryk has made no secret of his desire to join Arsenal. The forward has liked a number of Instagram posts linking him with the Gunners and even described Arteta as a "top coach". It's believed he's already agreed a long-term contract with the Gunners.
Yet Mudryk will only join Arsenal if they can agree a transfer fee with Shakhtar. If they don't, that will allow Chelsea to make their move. The Blues have been the biggest spenders in Europe since last summer and may decide to splash the cash again to get Mudryk.