Failed summer move for Mykhaylo Mudryk could actually benefit Everton as journalist makes £52million ‘anticipating’ claim
Everton saw their summer bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk turned down by Shakhtar Donetsk, but it could serve them well when they return in January.
The Toffees were one of the first clubs to show interest in the 21-year-old Ukrainian winger and were the only Premier League club to actually submit a bid for him in the summer according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.
That £30million bid was rejected at the time, and Mudryk has since caught the eye of other European giants, but Jacobs’ latest update will draw Everton’s attention once again.
Jacobs claims that Shakhtar are “anticipating” a January move for their star, with offers of over €60million (£52m) likely to be accepted by the club.
If – or when – the Toffees return with a January bid for Mudryk, there’s bound to be dozens of other offers on his table.
But Everton may stand out from the rest due to the faith they showed in him through the summer bid. That bid will understandably have to be inflated to Shakhtar’s asking price if the Toffees are to stand a chance of luring him to Goodison Park though.
Fend off rivals
Everton’s ambition will truly be tested in January with the inevitable Mudryk saga. Jacobs mentions interest from Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool in his Twitter thread, and that will obviously pose a threat to the club’s chances of signing him.
Frank Lampard may not be able to offer him European football just yet, but there’s a clear project to buy into at Everton, with an exciting squad and an equally-exciting new stadium on the way.
There are plenty of selling points for the club to flaunt in negotiations, and the board need to be able to show that Everton can lock horns financially with its Premier League rivals.
That is certainly no easy task, and Everton could quickly find themselves muscled out of the running for Mudryk in January, but it’s definitely worth Everton launching another early bid to try and once again tempt him to Merseyside now it has become clear that a January exit is on the cards.