With the finishing line of the season now in sight, we’re getting more and more intense transfer talk firing up.
Nizaar Kinsella has just put out an interesting piece about Georgiy Sudakov, the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder who is tearing up the Ukrainian league and looking ready for a move to a top European side.
The piece has quotes from Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin, who looks to have accepted defeat on trying to keep his latest gem at the club.
“This summer window, he has a big chance to move to some big clubs,” Palkin said.
“We have had some contacts with big clubs and some are not negotiating with us directly but are getting a feel for the summer environment.
“He will definitely move to a top European club this summer. When I was at Chelsea versus Everton on Monday, many people asked me about Sudakov.”
Along with Arsenal, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs, Chelsea are reportedly chasing the 21 year old, hoping to persuade him to make a summer move.
The Blues bought Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar back in January 2023, and have yet to see the best of the youngster.
Chelsea – once bitten?
Of course the fact that both Mudryk and Sudakov are Ukrainian and both coming from Shakhtar shouldn’t affect the Blues’ decision. They’re both different players. But it’s hard to imagine our thought process over signing Sudakov wouldn’t be influenced, either consciously or subconsciously, by the disaster the move for Mudryk has been so far.
What’s more, the money spent on Mudryk – a sum that started around £60m and could rise to £88m or more – is part of the vast spending that’s put us in a financial situation that makes it hard to see us paying £60m for his old teammate.
Palkin is talking up his chances of a move as well as his quality because he knows his latest star will have to leave eventually, and he wants to get maximum value for him. But having fleeced Chelsea once, he may find those in charge reluctant to come back for a second portion.