Chelsea must pay €70m to sign Mudryk's best friend

Tom Weber

• Updated: 27 May 2024 18:43 BST
• 3 min read

Shakhtar Donetsk have slapped a €70 million price tag on Georgiy Sudakov, according to a report.

The Ukrainian midfielder is expected to be on the move this summer after becoming one of Europe's most in-demand talents over the past year or so. The Shakhtar star has been performing for club and country in recent months and caught the eye.

Speculation surrounding the future of the 21-year-old has been rampant for a while, fuelled in part by the player himself. Sudakov has made no secret of his desire to play in a top-five league and openly admitted that Napoli attempted to sign him in January.

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Shakhtar handed the youngster a new deal in the winter, fitted with a €150 million release clause, but the Ukrainian giants know that this is an inflated figure. Indeed, Sudakov will be available for around half of that fee.

Sudakov to cost €70 million

At least that's according to journalist Ben Jacobs, who reports that Shakhtar are demanding around €70m for their prodigy. It is also claimed that Shakhtar will only sell after Euro 2024 in the hope that a good tournament will further boost his value.

Tottenham are mentioned as concrete suitors, while other reports still link Chelsea with Sudakov. The midfielder is one of the closest friends of Blues winger Mykhailo Mudryk, having played alongside him for Shakhtar. It had previously been asserted that Mudryk had put in a good word for Sudakov with the Chelsea hierarchy.

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Intriguingly, the tracks leading to clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool appear to have gone cold a bit in recent times. Juventus, Barcelona and, obviously, Napoli have also been named as potential destinations for the 21-year-old, though whether they are prepared - or able - to pay €70m is a different question.