Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are reportedly among the clubs keeping a close eye on Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Georgiy Sudakov, who is also wanted by Juventus.
Premier League giants Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are reportedly among the clubs keeping a close eye on Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Georgiy Sudakov.
The 21-year-old – who has represented the club since 2017 – was promoted to their senior side in January 2021 and has already racked up 75 appearances for the Ukrainian giants in all tournaments.
Sudakov primarily plays as a number 10, but he is also comfortable on the right and left-hand sides of the attack, and he has 12 goals and 12 assists to boast from his club performances so far.
Last season, Sudakov contributed five goals and eight assists from 29 outings in the Premier Liga en route to winning the title, and he has two goals to show from eight matches in the current campaign.
A nine-cap Ukraine international – starting all of his side’s Euro 2024 qualifiers so far – Sudakov also represented the Under-21s at this year’s continental Championships, taking home the Golden Boot with three goals as the Blue and Yellow reached the semi-finals.
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Owing to his continued progression, Shakhtar tied Sudakov down to a new-and-improved deal back in April, and those terms do not expire until the end of the 2027-28 season.
However, the midfielder’s recent renewal is unlikely to deter interested parties, as TEAMtalk claims that Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea have all been alerted to Sudakov’s rise to prominence.
Arsenal and Chelsea memorably engaged in a fierce two-horse race to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar in January – a battle which the Blues won – and the attacker has apparently been singing Sudakov’s praises in West London.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are said to have made a note of Sudakov’s qualities while they were scouting Mudryk, while Man City have also taken a liking to the playmaker’s skills.
In addition, Brighton & Hove Albion have been tipped to make a move for Sudakov, who worked under Roberto De Zerbi‘s wing during the Seagulls manager’s time in Ukraine, and two unnamed Portuguese outfits are also lurking in the background.
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However, the biggest threat to Arsenal, Chelsea and City’s chances of signing Sudakov is rumoured to come from Juventus, who have been plunged into a midfield crisis since the season began.
The Bianconeri are expected to terminate Paul Pogba‘s contract amid the Frenchman’s doping case, as the former Manchester United man tested positive for non-endogenous testosterone in August before a recent B sample showed identical results.
Pogba could now be facing a ban of up to four years if he is found guilty of doping, which would likely spell the end of his Juventus career, while fellow lynchpin Nicolo Fagioli is under investigation for alleged illegal betting.
The 22-year-old is at risk of a worldwide three-year suspension if the gambling accusations are proven, while Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali and Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo have also been caught up in the investigation and recently withdrew from the Italy squad.
