By Adegboyega Adeleye
Chelsea have agreed a deal worth £88.5m (£62m plus add-ons) to sign 22-year-old Ukrainian forward, Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Mudryk was a January target for Premier League rivals Arsenal who were in the market for a forward after an injury to Gabriel Jesus. However, the transfer has been hijacked by Chelsea after the club made a decisive move for the superstar.
Chelsea’s co-owner Behdad Eghbali and director of global transfers Paul Winstanley flew into Antalya in Turkey – where Shakhtar are training – on Saturday to complete the deal before taking Mudryk back to the UK with them on their private jet.
Arsenal remained in talks as recently as Friday but were prepared to give up on the transfer if the deal was not right.
The Blues are confident of securing the transfer and have offered the 22-year-old a seven-and-a-half-year contract. Chelsea will pay €70m (£62m) up front and €30m (£26.5m) in add-ons, which include winning the Champions League, Premier League and other individual performance-related conditions.
Mudryk will undergo his medical in London on Sunday and is expected to be at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea play Crystal Palace.
Shakhtar confirmed club president Rinat Akhmetov met with Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali on Saturday to discuss the player’s move to Stamford Bridge.
“The parties are very close to the transfer of the footballer to Chelsea FC,” Shakhtar said.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has already sanctioned moves for Benoit Badiashile, David Fofana and Andrey Santos in the January window, while adding the loan signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea issued a statement to say they are “discussing terms” with Shakhtar and added: “Should a deal be agreed between the two clubs then the Ukrainian international, who can operate as a winger or a forward, will discuss personal terms with the Blues ahead of a permanent transfer.”
Mudryk has scored seven goals and made seven assists in 12 league appearances for Shakhtar this season, and he has scored three Champions League goals.
The sensational superstar has scored 12 goals in 44 appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk and has also made eight international appearances for Ukraine since making his debut in June 2022.
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