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      Shakhtar CEO slams Arsenal conduct as he reveals reason club sold Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea in £88m transfer

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      SHAKHTAR DONETSK’s CEO has hit out at Arsenal’s conduct over Mykhailo Mudryk – and explained why Chelsea landed the star. The two London clubs were locked in intense talks with the Ukrainian club over their young winger.
      Mudryk has become one of the most expensive signings in Chelsea’s historyCredit: Getty
      Edu has turned Arsenal’s fortunes around off-the-pitch but was pipped to long-term target MudrykCredit: Getty – Contributor
      But Chelsea won out in the end and signed Mudryk in a deal worth £88m.
      Mudryk, who was paraded to fans at half-time of Sunday’s win over Crystal Palace, has signed a mammoth eight-and-a-half year contract.
      Shakhtar chief Sergei Palkin has spilled the beans on how the deal happened – and why he was not happy at the way Arsenal went about the deal.
      Asked why pundits saw the Gunners as favourites for Mudryk, he told the Athletic: “It is because Arsenal contacted the player almost one and a half months before they contacted us.
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      “Can you imagine, for example, to have Mikel Arteta, Oleksandr Zinchenko and the sporting director (Edu) calling you, to have Arsenal calling you almost every day, every two days, every three days?
      “Therefore, why did many people around it have the impression that Mudryk was going to Arsenal? It is because Arsenal contacted him and then Mudryk started to watch some games of Arsenal. But negotiations are negotiations.”
      While the CEO confirmed he did not make any formal complaints, he did raise the issue with the Gunners’ negotiating team.
      Palkin added: “When I met Arsenal and they mentioned they had already talked to the player and they had contacted the player, to be honest, I knew beforehand that they had started to contact him.
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      “I said, ‘OK, you start to contact him but first of all you should close it with us’. But OK, we have what we have.”
      Palkin also revealed that both Arsenal and Chelsea offered the same “fixed” amount, but the Blues’ bonuses and add-ons were more tempting to Shakhtar.
      The chief executive commended Chelsea’s “serious” approach and said he believed they are building “one of the best clubs in the world”.
      He added: “Yes, we can talk about bonuses, but these bonuses should be somehow achievable and realistic, let’s say. Therefore, in this case, Chelsea was much more serious and fair in some points.
      “When we met Chelsea, we stayed all together. For you to understand the context, it was for nine or 10 hours. They invited the player and explained to us the whole project.
      “We realised that, yes, if you look right now, Chelsea have some kinds of problems but it is normal because they have a transition period from one owner to another. It is understandable. They would like to change a lot.”
      The signing of Mudryk is the fifth acquisition of the window already for Chelsea.
      The 22-year-old follows the loan move of Joao Felix and the permanent deals for Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos.
      Todd Boehly’s transfer spend is close to £400m in two windows More

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      Mudryk Chelsea bonuses revealed as Shakhtar confirm Arsenal never came close to transfer and deride ‘Ballon d’Or clause’

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      SHAKHTAR DONETSK have revealed the bonuses involved in Mykhailo Mudryk’s move to Chelsea.And it was confirmed that it was those “achievable and realistic” bonuses that led to the Blues blowing Arsenal out of the water for Mudryk.
      Mykhailo Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk despite Arsenal interestCredit: Getty
      Shakhtar Donetsk revealed the bonuses involved in Mykhailo Mudryk’s Chelsea dealCredit: Getty
      The West Londoners hijacked their rivals’ bid to land the winger in the January transfer window after reaching a deal worth a total of £88million with Shakhtar.
      The Ukrainian giants’ CEO Sergei Palkin confirmed that Chelsea beat the North Londoners thanks bonuses largely related to them winning the Premier League and Champions League.
      However, there is no added clause relating to the 22-year-old potentially winning the Ballon d’Or, like his previous manager Robert De Zerbi – now at Brighton – predicted.
      And those terms will remain active across the entirety of the Ukraine international’s eight-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
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      Palkin told The Athletic: “We can talk about bonuses, but these bonuses should be somehow achievable and realistic, let’s say.
      “Therefore, in this case, Chelsea was much more serious and fair in some points.
      “Chelsea’s offer for Mudryk has no Ballon d’Or clause. It is achievable bonuses that we feel can be reached.”
      Palkin also confirmed that talks with Arsenal were off before Chelsea swooped in.
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      Shakhtar weren’t happy with the Gunners’ final offer worth €70million (£62m) plus €30m (£26m) in add-ons.
      Palkin added: “When they proposed the final offer of €70million plus €30million [in add-ons], we sat down and started to talk internally about how it will be fulfilled in terms of the payments, the fixed part and the bonus issues.
      “We realised we will not close this deal [with Arsenal].” More

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      Barcelona target Ilkay Gundogan free transfer as they look set to miss out on Chelsea star N’Golo Kante

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      BARCELONA are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan.The LaLiga giants are hoping to sign the midfielder on a free transfer in the summer.
      Ilkay Gundogan is reportedly attracting interest from BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      Gundogan’s contract at the Etihad Stadium expires at the end of the season and he will be available on a Bosman deal.
      Barcelona have been a big mover in the Bosman market due to the club’s recent financial constraints.
      They signed the likes of Frank Kessie, Marcos Alonso, Hector Bellerin and Andreas Christensen on free transfers last summer.
      The Catalonian side had been interested in signing N’Golo Kante, but he is closing on a new contract at Chelsea.
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      Therefore the club have turned their attention to Gundogan, according to The Telegraph.
      The German is able to discuss terms with Barcelona now as he is in the last six months of his deal.
      But as the report suggests, a deal will hinge on whether or not the 32-year-old signs a new deal with Man City.
      Gundogan was Pep Guardiola’s first transfer when he arrived at the club seven years ago in 2016.
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      The German is an important member of the team as he is the current captain.
      He took over the role from Fernandinho following the Brazilian’s departure last summer.
      He had played an important role in the club’s four Premier League titles since his arrival. More

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      Chelsea’s academy stars panicking over huge January transfer spending as German clubs look to swoop

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      CHELSEA’S academy stars are worried by the club’s huge transfer spending and being eyed eagerly by German teams.Mykhailo Mudryk’s £88million arrival took the Blues’ spending in the summer and January windows close to £500m.
      Chelsea’s latest buy, Mykhailo Mudryk, was unveiled to fans at half-time in Sunday’s 1-0 home Prem win over Crystal PalaceCredit: AP
      PSV Eindhoven’s ex-Spurs winger Noni Madueke is still being linked with Chelsea, who have already signed 14 players under the Todd Boehly regimeCredit: Rex
      But The Telegraph say Chelsea’s teenage products fear their own progress will now be dented – sparking activity from their agents.
      It’s reportedly left German clubs wondering if they can nick some bargains – like Bayern Munich did when they signed Jamal Musiala in 2019.
      The Stuttgart-born attacking midfielder, 19, played for England up to the U-21s but switched allegiance to Germany, winning 20 senior caps already.
      Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly insists he is backing under-fire manager Graham Potter for the long haul despite slipping to tenth in the Prem.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      And that means more big signings are expected this month.
      PSV’s £27m-rated wideman Noni Madueke, 20, is still on the Blues radar.
      It’s thought Chelsea contacted the Dutch giants in December about the England U-21 ace, a Londoner who was with Crystal Palace and Tottenham as a kid.
      Mudyryk was the 14th signing since Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over the club in May after previous owner Roman Abramovich was ousted.
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      Apart from the Shakhtar Donetsk winger, Chelsea have also bought Molde’s Ivory Coast striker David Datro Fofana, Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile and Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos this month.
      And Joao Felix’s half-season loan from Atletico Madrid cost a fee close to £10m.
      But one teenager whose Stamford Bridge future should be safe is England hopeful Levi Colwill.
      Chelsea are tipped to offer the centre-back, 19, a new long-term contract amid fine form on loan for Premier League rivals Brighton. More

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      Mykhailo Mudryk’s starting Dream Team price revealed – will Chelsea’s new star hit the ground running?

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      IF the Premier League was a school then Todd Boehly would be the pupil who asks all his classmates if he can copy their homework.In a short space of time, Chelsea’ co-owner has developed a reputation for signing players heavily linked to rival clubs.
      The latest and most dramatic example of this strategy comes in the form of Mykhailo Mudryk’s acquisition as the 22-year-old seemed destined for Arsenal before the Blues swooped in.
      In total, the deal is reported to be worth £88.7m, making it one of the most expensive transfers in history.
      Very much not an Arsenal playerCredit: getty
      The move has raised eyebrows not just because of how the club edged out their London foes, but because the player in question has scored just 12 goals in professional football.
      That’s not to say to say Mudryk isn’t a talented footballer but his relative inexperience, plus the fact he’s never played outside Ukraine, means the transfer comes with inherent risks.
      Ten of his career goals have come in Shakhtar Donetsk colours this season, seven in the league and three in the Champions League, and he’s also provided eight assists in all competitions this term.
      Those numbers boil down to a goal involvement every 79.6 minutes – undeniably impressive.
      Previous players to wear Chelsea’s No15 include: Mohamed Salah and Kevin De BruyneCredit: getty
      Mudryk has predominantly played as a left winger to date although he has occasionally switched to the opposite flank and has some minutes under his belt at centre-forward.
      It will be interesting to see how Graham Potter uses the new arrival given the plethora of assets at his disposal who operate in similar areas.
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      Mason Mount (£4m), Raheem Sterling (£4.2m), Christian Pulisic (£2.4m), Hakim Ziyech (£2.3m), Kai Havertz (£3.5m) and Joao Felix (£3.8m) all prefer to play either out wide or behind a proper striker.
      Christopher Nkunku will be added to that list soon.
      Competition for places is a good way to motivate the squad and drive up standards but this juggling act can also cause headaches for a head coach.
      And from a Dream Team perspective, gaffers will be wary of rotation at Stamford Bridge – generally it’s best to back attack-minded midfielders who are guaranteed starters when fit.
      Mudryk may well fit that description but his place in the pecking order remains to be seen.
      Certainly he has the form to hit the ground in English football but history is littered with players who have required a bedding-in period upon switching leagues – Chelsea supporters know this better than most.
      It remains to be seen how well Mudryk translates to the Premier LeagueCredit: getty
      And now for the big reveal… the Ukraine international has been added to Dream Team with a starting price of £3.5million.
      Couple that with the fact he’s categorised as a midfielder, rather than a forward, and it’s a tempting prospect but of course we recommend waiting for a proper look at Mudryk in action before doing anything rash.
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      Rather ominously, current Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, previously of Shakhtar Donetsk, has said: “I think Mudryk can win the Ballon d’Or in the future.”
      Big talk but who are we to argue with a man working miracles on the south coast… More

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      Amazing XI of biggest transfers that could still happen in January including Dusan Vlahovic to Arsenal

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      THE Premier League’s top clubs are gearing up to splash the cash in what could turn out to be the most exciting January transfer window yet.Chelsea have been the biggest spenders so far this month with £88million Mykhailo Mudryk their latest recruit.
      Chelsea have been the biggest spenders this month with Mykhailo Mudryk their latest recruitCredit: PA
      Leandro Trossard looks set to leave Brighton after a huge fall-outCredit: Alamy
      Meanwhile a host of their domestic rivals are also looking to add to their squads.
      Leaders Arsenal are desperate to bolster their attack while Manchester United have already brought in Wout Weghorst on loan.
      And it is not only in England that the prospect of big-money moves could occur.
      Here SunSport has compiled a best XI of the possible signings that could still take place during this January transfer window…
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      Jordan Pickford – GK
      The goalkeeper has told Everton he wants to STAY at the club but the England number one and the struggling Merseyside club are deadlocked in a row over pay.
      And that has alerted Manchester United and Tottenham, who are now both willing to nearly double his £100,000-a-week wages to secure his signature.
      It still seems unlikely that Pickford would jump ship this month from the Premier League’s joint-bottom club, but as we know in football, anything can happen.
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      Pedro Porro – RB
      Tottenham are set for fresh talks this week with Sporting Lisbon over the signing of defender Pedro Porro.
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      Spurs have identified Porro, 23, as one of their top targets this month.
      But Sporting are reluctant to let the Spaniard go in this window.
      So far they have insisted Spurs pay up the full £39.9million written into his release clause.
      Josko Gvardiol – CB
      Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City have all been linked with the Croatian – who has revealed Liverpool are his “dream club” in the Premier League.
      RB Leipzig’s Croatian star’s stock soared even higher thanks to his standout performances for Croatia at the World Cup.
      Gvardiol is adamant that he will stay at the club as are Leipzig, but a late big-money offer could quickly change everything.
      Piero Hincapie – CB
      Tottenham are also weighing up a £20m January move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.
      Spurs boss Antonio Conte has made a new left-sided centre-back one of his main priorities and is among the many admirers of Ecuador international Hincapie.
      The 21-year-old caught the eye at the World Cup in Qatar and is on the radar of a number of clubs following impressive performances for Leverkusen since his arrival in Germany in 2021.
      Sergio Gomez – LB
      Manchester City ace Sergio Gomez is reportedly being targeted by both Juventus and Inter Milan.
      Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri wants him to replace Alex Sandro, who might not renew his contract at the end of the season.
      City only signed him from Anderlecht last summer but he has yet to make a breakthrough, and Italian media claims they are ready to do business for around £35m.

      Gianluca Prestianni – RW
      Real Madrid and Barcelona are locked in a transfer battle to sign Argentina wonderkid Gianluca Prestianni.
      The 16-year-old is currently playing in his homeland for Velez Sarsfield.
      Despite his young age, the winger has already made his senior debut for the club.
      That made him the third-youngest player ever to appear in Argentina’s top-flight after legends Diego Maradona and Sergio Aguero.
      The two LaLiga giants are continuing to monitor his progress before opting to launch a bid.
      Scott McTominay – CM
      Newcastle are reportedly chasing Manchester United’s Scott McTominay with the star concerned by his lack of recent match action.
      He is “widely liked” by Eddie Howe and the management team at St. James’ Park.
      And he is also allegedly open to a move with Newcastle set to launch a transfer bid if they get the green light that he is available from Old Trafford chiefs.
      Declan Rice – CM
      Declan Rice has been identified as Arsenal’s No.1 target.
      West Ham midfield star Rice is entering the final year of his contract at the London Stadium this summer – although there is an optional extra year – and he may finally opt to jump ship.
      A number of top clubs are interested in the 24-year-old, but the Gunners are ready to battle Chelsea, Manchester United and Man City for his signature to bolster their title dream.
      Leandro Trossard – LW
      The Belgian is unsettled at Brighton after falling out with boss Roberto De Zerbi.
      Trossard, 28, has been frozen out by the Italian after reportedly being involved in a training ground bust up with a team-mate.
      Spurs have allegedly had a £12m bid for the winger rejected already.
      Memphis Depay – FW
      Newcastle have reportedly launched a transfer bid for Memphis Depay as they look to snap-up the Barcelona star.
      And they are ready to battle Atletico Madrid all the way to secure the Dutch forward’s signature this month.
      The former Manchester United man, who can play wide or up front, has fallen out of favour at the Nou Camp this term under Xavi.
      He has been limited to just four appearances all season and has allegedly been told that he can leave during the January transfer window.
      Dusan Vlahovic – FW
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is also keen to bolster his attack, and he is ready to launch another move for Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic.
      The Serbian, 22, snubbed a switch to the Emirates last January when opting for Turin instead.
      But now Juventus could be tempted to let him leave due to the financial problems at the club.
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      It is claimed the North Londoners are preparing a £71m bid for Vlahovic, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.
      He’s scored 16 goals in 36 games for Juventus.
      Arsenal are readying another move for Dusan VlahovicCredit: Getty More

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      How Chelsea could line up next season with Mudryk and Nkunku supporting Osimhen in new-look attack and Rice in midfield

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      CHELSEA have now spent more than £375million since new owner Todd Boehly took over from Roman Abramovich eight months ago.Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were just some of the players brought in during the summer transfer window.
      Christopher Nkunku is set to join Chelsea from RB LeipzigCredit: Getty
      How Chelsea could line up next season with three huge new signings
      Victor Osimhen is being linked with a move from Napoli to ChelseaCredit: Getty
      And Boehly has shown no signs of slowing down in the January market.
      The Blues have already acquired Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos and now Mykhailo Mudryk for a combined £116m.
      Joao Felix has also arrived on a short-term loan deal from Atletico Madrid.
      It comes at a time when Graham Potter’s men are struggling on the pitch, currently sitting 10th in the Premier League table.
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      And Chelsea are expected to continue showing their spending power in the summer window.
      They are set to welcome Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig in a deal worth £53m, with the Frenchman, 25, expected to occupy the No10 role at Stamford Bridge.
      Mudryk, 22, will assume the left flank, with Sterling and Mason Mount battling it out for the right wing position.
      Then up front, Chelsea may also be preparing for a new striker to enter the fray.
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      Aubameyang and Kai Havertz have scored just nine goals between them in all competitions so far this season.
      And the Blues are being linked with Napoli and Nigeria star Victor Osimhen.
      The 24-year-old has netted 13 times in 17 games for the Serie A leaders so far this season – and 41 in 79 games since joining from Lille in 2020.
      But it is not just in attack where fresh faces may appear in Potter’s team.
      Chelsea are set for a new battle with Arsenal as they go to war over the signature of West Ham captain Declan Rice.
      The England international, 24, is expected to leave the London Stadium in the summer.
      Chelsea and Arsenal are two possible destinations for Rice, with Man Utd also interested in the £80m man.
      Declan Rice is expected to leave West Ham in the summerCredit: PA More

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      Reason Arsenal pulled out of Mykhailo Mudryk transfer revealed… with Mikel Arteta happy for him to go to Chelsea

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      ARSENAL are believed to have pulled out of a deal to sign Mykhailo Mudryk in order to poach a top Chelsea target.The Ukrainian winger was signed by the Blues in a mega-money deal despite long-term interest from the Gunners.
      Arsenal pulled out of the race to sign Mykhailo MudrykCredit: Getty
      The Gunners will now try to sign Declan Rice in the summerCredit: Alamy
      It had been expected that Mudryk would join Arsenal after he posted about the club on his social media.
      However, the reason why Mikel Arteta’s side dropped out of the race to sign him has been revealed.
      Arsenal are now planning a swoop for Chelsea target Declan Rice, according to The Independent.
      The report suggests that the North London side are “hopeful” of signing the West Ham captain this summer.
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      Rice has developed into one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League over the last few seasons.
      He has also become a leader in the Hammers side, having taken over captaincy duties from the retired Mark Noble.
      Although the 24-year-old has made no secret of wanting to challenge for trophies in his career, something that is looking unlikely at 18th-placed West Ham.
      Arsenal will have to fight off interest from the Blues to sign Rice, but will have a couple of advantages.
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      With Graham Potter’s side currently in 10th, the Gunners are far more likely to be able to offer Champions League football next season.
      Arsenal will also have plenty of cash in the budget to spend, whereas it would be expected that Chelsea’s continued heavy spending will have to cease at some point.
      The Gunners also have Emile Smith Rowe, who plays in a similar position to Mudyrk, coming back from injury.
      So Arteta may have also thought that there was less need to spend over £80m on another attacker when that money could be better spent elsewhere in the squad. More