Premier League quartet Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are among a number of clubs that have received a boost in their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, according to a report.
The 21-year-old is an academy product of Shakhtar and has developed into a key player for the Ukrainian giants since making his professional debut in October 2020.
Sudakov enjoyed a productive 2022-23 campaign as he contributed with five goals and eight assists in 29 Ukrainian Premier League matches to help Shakhtar win the title, while he also registered two assists in Champions League games against RB Leipzig and Celtic.
This season, the attacking midfielder has chipped in with seven goals and three assists in 27 games for Shakhtar, while he also scored his first international goal for Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier against North Macedonia at the end of last year.
Sudakov is regarded as one of Ukraine's brightest prospects and his impressive performances for club and country are said to have alerted a number of top European clubs, including teams in the Premier League.
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European giants set to battle for Sudakov
Each of Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea are said to be keeping tabs on Sudakov's development, with a recent report claiming that the latter are leading the race for the youngster's signature.
Manchester United, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Aston Villa have also been credited with an interest, as have Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid, but Barcelona are understood to have pulled out of the race.
According to HITC, a release clause in excess of £100m was inserted in Sudakov's contract - signed in February - that runs until December 2028.
However, the report adds that Shakhtar are preparing to sell in-demand Sudakov this summer, with the midfielder expected to move to one of Europe's top-five leagues.
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Napoli fail with €40m Sudakov offer
Last month, Sudakov confirmed interest in his services from Serie A duo Juventus and Napoli, with the latter having a big-money offer turned down by Shakhtar according to the club's director.
"Sergei Palkin (Shakhtar director) informed me about offers from Juventus and Napoli," Sudakov told reporters. "Shakhtar rejected Napoli's €40m bid."
"I was a little upset at the beginning [when Shakhtar denied me a move to Italy], but then I understood the club," the Ukrainian added.
"The club want to get as much money as possible from my sale. Palkin has said I can go to Europe in six months or a year and trust him and the president."
Sudakov, who is expected to represent Ukraine at Euro 2024, is in contention to play in Shakhtar's next top-flight fixture away against Vorskla on Sunday.
Oliver Thomas
