Chelsea 'hope to hijack Arsenal deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk' as transfer race takes a turn

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Arsenal's top January transfer target, Mykhaylo Mudryk, and now the two London rivals could be set to battle for the Ukrainian's signature this winter as Shakhtar Donetsk seeks to take action. Earlier this week, the Gunners finally made their choice as they submitted their first formal offer worth around £55million, including add-ons for the highly-rated 21-year-old.

But Shakhtar held firm, rejecting the offer as they continue to steer potential suitors towards their £85million asking price for their wonderkid.

Arsenal, however, are not prepared to pay that kind of money as they work to find a compromise, but now their task has become even more difficult with Chelsea seemingly ready to throw their hats into the ring.

According to , the Blues are keen to hijack Arsenal's deal after showing an interest in Mudryk, which aligns with their ambitious and forward-thinking transfer plans under Graham Potter.

It is understood that Chelsea could now pose a serious threat to Arsenal, although the Gunners have already received assurances from Mudryk's agent that he is keen to join the club.

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Earlier this month, Shakhtar CEO Sergey Palkin flew to London for face-to-face talks with a host of interested Premier League clubs.

At the time, no club was named, but it now appears Chelsea were one of the parties who met Shakhtar in the capital to discuss the numbers.

Mudryk himself has grown frustrated with how Shakhtar seeks to maximize profits, saying he may be denied his dream move.

He continued to fish for a move to Arsenal on social media, even posting a clip of him broadcasting the 3-1 Boxing Day win over West Ham on Instagram during the contest.

This poses a problem for Arsenal, Chelsea are keen to invest in their attack after offloading Timo Werner (sold to RB Leipzig) and Romelu Lukaku (on loan to Inter Milan) last summer.

The Blues have struggled to score goals this season and that will have to change in the second half of the season if they want to make the top four.

The future of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic is unclear at the moment while Callum Hudson-Odoi has a mixed spell on loan at Bayer Leverkusen.

If Chelsea decide to invest more in their attack, Mudryk's numbers read favorably, having been involved in 18 goals in 18 appearances for Shakhtar this season.

The talented winger has scored 10 times and assisted eight in the Ukrainian Premier Liga and Champions League this season.

He has been one of the most notable entertainers on the continental scene, which is why many clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle and Real Madrid have all been associated with his services.< /p>

Express Sport understands that Arsenal are continuing to work on a deal for Mudryk and will return with a second offer.

The Gunners are undeterred by Shakhtar's callous response to their opening offer, although they are still reluctant to match their valuation for Mudryk.