Sources: Arsenal in last-ditch Mykhaylo Mudryk hijack after Chelsea deal agreed
Arsenal tried to hijack Chelsea’s deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk at the eleventh hour, sources have told Football Insider.
The north Londoners made a new move for the wide forward, 22, on Saturday (14 January) after being ambushed themselves by their Premier League rivals.
However, Arsenal’s proposal to match Chelsea’s Mudryk offer was considered by the player and his camp to be too late in the day, with the Stamford Bridge move by then too advanced for another U-turn.
It meant that Mudryk headed into London to complete an £89million move to Chelsea on Sunday (15 January) after agreeing a remarkable eight-and-a-half-year contract.
The west Londoners had a bid of £62m plus £27m in add-ons accepted on Saturday night after a delegation, including co-owner Behdad Eghbali and director of global talent Paul Winstanley, flew to Belek in Turkey, where Shakhtar are based, to tip the deal in their favour.
Premier League leaders Arsenal had made their third proposal of £62m plus £20m in potential add-ons on Thursday (12 January) and had maintained dialogue since over the structure of the fee.
Yet Chelsea ambushed them on Saturday in an incredible demonstration of their ambition and financial firepower.
Arsenal’s late attempt to match them proved too late even though they had been working on the deal for months and had long ago agreed personal terms with the player.
Mudryk will wear the number 15 shirt at Chelsea and could make his debut when Graham Potter’s side face Liverpool on Saturday (21 January).
The Ukraine international earned the move to Stamford Bridge after impressing for Shakhtar, where he has notched 10 goals and eight assists in 18 appearances this season.
Premier League title favourites Arsenal sit some 19 points clear of 10th-place Chelsea as the season reaches the halfway stage.
Sources told this site on Sunday (16 January) that the Blues are ready to spend more than £100million on three more box-office signings this month – even after signing Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile.
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