The Premier League champions have reportedly joined a handful of their Premier League rivals in the race to sign Shakhtar Donetsk superstar, Georgiy Sudakov.
The Ukrainian is being hailed as the ‘next Mykhailo Mudryk’ after the now-former Shakhtar man made a big-money move to Chelsea in 2023. But current Donetsk starlet, Sudakov has drawn the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The 22-year-old is dominant in the Ukrainian Premier League, where he is currently the league’s top goalscorer from midfield, bagging seven goals and two assists through eight games so far this season.
With many reports suggesting that this will be his last season in Ukraine, the sharks of Europe have begun to circle, and naturally that list has included Manchester City as they continue to aim to stay ahead of the rest when it comes to securing leading young talents.
According to a report from the i newspaper, Premier League champions Manchester City have joined the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham within the English top-flight in vying for Sudakov’s signature.
In a recent interview with the i, the Shakhtar Donetsk star revealed his desire to bring his talents to the Premier League. “I was telling Misha [Mykhailo Mudryk] about how much I want to play in the Premier League and how it would be great to play in the same team,” he said.
He continued, “Misha told me that I was not ready for the kind of pressure that happens in England and if I do come I need to be ready for that. But I am.”
With potential departures from midfield expected in the coming months at Manchester City as the core of Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, and Mateo Kovacic are not getting any younger, a major rebuild in the centre of the park could be on the horizon.
With Shakhtar Donetsk set to take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the UEFA Champions League this month, there will surely be a handful of Premier League scouts in attendance to see the young star play.
Meanwhile, Manchester City will face off with Sparta Prague but only after a Premier League showdown with Wolves on Sunday afternoon. The Etihad club come into the weekend one point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
