Premier League trio Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle United will reportedly have to pay €100m (£87.8m) if they wish to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The 21-year-old's long-term future with the Ukrainian outfit is believed to be uncertain, with a number of top European clubs said to be interested in his services.
Mudryk has established himself as an influential attacking asset at Shakhtar, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists in 16 appearances across all competitions this season, including five goal contributions in six Champions League games.
Such form has caught the eye of both Arsenal and Man City, with Shakhtar assistant sporting director Carlo Nicolini suggesting that the Premier League pair have expressed their interest in signing him.
Newcastle, Liverpool, Everton, Brentford and most recently Manchester United have also been credited with an interest along with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.
© Reuters
According to The Athletic, interested club will be required to stump up €100m (£87.8m) if they wish to lure Mudryk away from Shakhtar.
The 13-time Ukrainian top-flight champions are under no pressure to cash in on their star player, who is under contract until the summer of 2026.
Shakhtar's director of football Dario Srna recently suggested that a nine-figure price tag on Mudryk's head is reasonable and he has compared the eight-cap Ukraine international with Man City's Jack Grealish and Man United's duo Antony and Jadon Sancho.
"If somebody wants to buy Mudryk, they must pay huge, huge, huge money. Otherwise the president of the club (Rinat Akhmetov) will not sell him," Srna told reporters.
"The market is deciding the price — not me. Antony, [Jack] 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. [Jadon] Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. We want just respect."
© Reuters
Mudryk has recently talked up the prospect of joining Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side and has admitted that assurances of regular first-team would not be a key factor when deciding his next career move.
Speaking to Vlada Sedan's YouTube channel, Mudryk said: "Yeah. I check on [Arsenal] on MyScore and know 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.
"From a purely hypothetical perspective if there was the option of being a bench player for Real Madrid or a starter for Arsenal, I'd probably choose Arsenal.
"But it's a tough question and involves a lot of factors in my answer. I would first want to know from the head coach that even if I wasn't a guaranteed starter, that I'd receive a chance."
Mudryk was unable to help Shakhtar progress from the Champions League group stage earlier this season, but a third-placed finish has seen them drop down into the Europa League playoff round where they will face Rennes over two legs in February next year.
