Chelsea ‘interested in Sudakov’ after Mudryk recommended star to Pochettino
Chelsea could be about to take up Mykhaylo Mudryk’s advice and sign a player who has been highly recommended to Mauricio Pochettino as he prepares to bring in new signings in the winter transfer window. The Blues are reportedly keen on capturing Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, who has been courted by several clubs in Europe.
The 21-year-old is a Ukraine international and plays for the national team alongside Mudryk. Their connection may prove to be useful in convincing him to move to Stamford Bridge, with growing interest in signing the highly-rated midfielder.
Sudakov scored Shakhtar’s goal in the 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League and played the full 90 minutes as the Ukrainian champions pulled off a shock 1-0 win over the La Liga giants, Those performances didn’t go unnoticed and Chelsea are thought to be considering a move for the Ukrainian, who has scored 13 goals in 79 games since making his debut aged 18.
According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea hold an interest in signing Sudakov. But the west London outfit could face competition from Juventus, who are keeping tabs on his situation.
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The Premier League club have spent over £1billion gross on transfers since Todd Boehly took control of the club 18 months ago and it may take another expensive fee to convince Shakhtar to sell, with Sudakov considered one of their most valuable players.
And their financial muscle could prove to be the decisive factor in the race to clinch his signature. Juventus have been plagued by monetary issues and were docked 15 points before that was rescinded after an appeal and changed to 10, in the Serie A last season over financial irregularities. Chelsea, meanwhile, are expected to spend big for the fourth transfer window in a row as Boehly looks to put the final touches to his rebuild.
The American has invested a huge amount of money and faith into Mudryk, who has largely struggled since his £88m transfer in January. The winger went 23 games without scoring before ending his goalless run against Fulham, before following that up with a fortuitous strike against Arsenal.
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A return of two goals and two assists from 29 games underlines his struggles to adapt, and there may be concerns Sudakov could face similar difficulties. But the presence of a fellow Ukrainian in the squad may help them both settle and Pochettino has shown a willingness to get the best out of Mudryk.
The report claims Mudryk, 22, has ‘insisted on having him as a teammate’, urging his manager to bring in Sudakov to inject some creativity into the side.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea would push through a deal given they are well-stocked in midfield, with Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu all being used by the Argentinian this season.
Sudakov tends to operate as more of an attacking midfielder, but even then, Cole Palmer, Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku all have a part to play under Pochettino, and there may be more urgent areas that require improving before the midfield.
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