One of the midfielders on Manchester United’s radar has been told that he will be allowed to move clubs this summer but the Premier League giants will have to pay in excess of £35 million to get him through the door.
If you had any doubts about the extent of the interest in one of the most talented young players to emerge out of Eastern Europe in recent times, then an interview he gave to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport this week should go a long way to explaining the size of the task facing Erik ten Hag and co should Manchester United opt to step up their interest.
Georgiy Sudakov, the Shakhtar Donetsk talisman, insists that he ‘knows nothing’ about reported interest from Man CIty and Barcelona. The same cannot be said, however, about two of the biggest clubs in Italian football.
Manchester United linked with Ukraine star
“(Shakhtar director) Sergei Palkin informed me about offers from Juventus and Napoli,” Sudakov explains. “Shakhtar rejected Napoli’s 40 million euro bid.”
Interestingly, it was a publication specialising in all things Juventus – TuttoJuve – who first reported Man United’s interest in December. At just 21, and with only five goals and two assists from 24 games this season, Sudakov is not exactly a player who jumps off the page when discussing signings who could take Man United to the next level.
But United’s alleged interest in the young Ukrainian makes a little more sense when you factor in what Sir Jim Ratcliffe said regarding the club’s recruitment plans earlier this week. The Red Devils, Ratcliffe tells the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, are prioritising up-and-coming talents over established superstars.
And Sudakov – labelled the ‘best football player’ in Ukraine and ‘more talented’ than Chelsea’s £89 million winger Mykhaylo Mudryk – certainly fits the bill in terms of what Ineos are looking for.
Simply put, United need young midfielders too. Christian Eriksen and Casemiro are both likely to leave, and Bruno Fernandes is not getting any younger.
Georgiy Sudakov will cost at least £35 million
“I was a little upset at the beginning (when Shakhtar denied me a move to Italy). But then I understood the club.
“The club want to get as much money as possible from my sale,” adds Sudakov, who believes he will be allowed to leave for the right fee this summer despite recently extending his contract until 2028.
“Palkin has said I can go to Europe in six months or a year. And trust him and the President.”
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