Some more comments have arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk’s director of football regarding the price tag of Newcastle target Mykhaylo Mudryk. Dario Srna, who previously touted that his star winger would cost a lot of money, has gone to even further lengths to ward off potential buyers.
The Athletic has published the following from Srna on Mudryk:
“If somebody wants to buy Mudryk, they must pay huge, huge, huge money. Otherwise the president of the club (Rinat Akhmetov) will not sell him.
“All the clubs must respect the President, respect Shakhtar and in the end they must respect Mykhaylo Mudryk, who is one of the best players I saw. The price is so big.
“The market is deciding the price, not me. Antony, Grealish, they are players of more than €100m and for me, Mudryk does not have less quality than them. This is the last two transfers in the past year, in more or less the same positions.
“Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. We want just respect. The market is deciding the price, not me, it shows which kind of players cost this kind of money.”
Shakhtar have set the bidding at £85m which is around £25m higher than what his fee was believed to be over the past few months. Shakhtar had rejected an approach from Brentford for £30m over the summer. Arsenal were also tracking Mudryk.
This valuation has likely ruled Newcastle out of the running for the exciting Ukrainian. The 21-year-old has come from nowhere over the past 12-18 months to become one of the most coveted players in the world.
His rise to prominence means he has some elite suitors. He recently admitted he was keeping a close eye on the Gunners, where compatriot Oleksandr Zinchenko now plays. Mudryk revealed the following recently:
“I follow Arsenal closely, they’re a very dynamic side. One surprise for me was how many Arsenal fans followed me. No other club’s fans have interacted as much as them.
“They always tell me: come to us!
“From a purely theoretical-fantasy perspective, if there was the option of being a bench player for Real Madrid or a starter for Arsenal, I’d probably choose Arsenal.
“But I’d first want to know from the head coach that I’d receive a chance.”
Newcastle will not spend crazy money no matter how special the player may be. There are other wide targets that could come into play in January including Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, who has refound his form under former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso scoring 7 of his 8 goals since his appointment in October.
102 comments so far
Vask
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:01 PM
Comment #81Cleveleys
I think it was called ‘the story of O. ‘
Judging by an episode of Fraiser I once see’d.
cleveleysbob
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:02 PM
Comment #82Invest, who’s the best Wag at the moment? 😉
lesh
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:03 PM
Comment #83Bard
As ever, fine words of wit and wisdom.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:03 PM
Comment #84Surely Stephen King’s IT, it’s not even short for Ixtra Terrestria l:?
cleveleysbob
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:04 PM
Comment #85Vask, you’re right, that was the porno version, but there was a movie simply called O
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_(film)
cleveleysbob
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:06 PM
Comment #86Sorry jail, you can’t get shorter than O
😆
cleveleysbob
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:07 PM
Comment #87Tell WorB to send the prize money to the usual place. 🙂
Romford mag
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:09 PM
Comment #88Bob
There’s a film called 9 mate!
So 50/50 split 😉
Vask
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:11 PM
Comment #89If the film O is based on Othello, does that not make it long winded by default?
IrishRob
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:17 PM
Comment #90Clint I agree bud, but its a tricky one as well like. You can get lucky jumping in the hype train early aswell.
In 3-4 years he could be worth 250M and we could be looking back and wishing we spent 100M on him. You never know!
But I’m supremely confident with who we will choose to bring in either way. When you look at the job their doing and the skills they seem to have to be able to spot great players it makes me not worry at all about loosing out on players like Haaland, Mudryk, Bellingham etc.
CLINT FLICK
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:19 PM
Comment #91I thought it was movies recognised by something in the movie, not just the name?
😉
DrGloom
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:19 PM
Comment #92There’s a film called Seven albeit in character form so I’m taking… any lower numbers?
7
IrishRob
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:21 PM
Comment #93Is anyone else not happy that today’s Brunos Birthday?
All I see is he’s not a year closer to retirement(at least on paper) lol lol
HB BG39!!
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:23 PM
Comment #94Bob – my best effort was “Freedom!” but V for Vendetta is definitely a movie. Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving.
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:24 PM
Comment #95IrishRob – strictly speaking, he’s a day closer to retirement than yesterday…
CLINT FLICK
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:26 PM
Comment #96Irob
True…but…
I get the feeling that just stumping up big dosh isn’t our plan…and, it’ll only superannuate an already superannuated market, which is what we’re trying to avoid, init?
Clubs will be trying to gouge based on what they think the rich will cough.
Good as he may be… don’t think we’ll pursue players hyped beyond their current status, unless a dead cert.
Any club falling for hype is a natural grasper, i hope/think we’re not in that category.
The desparate 6 might tho’, which is nice!
cleveleysbob
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:32 PM
Comment #97ROM, I discounted that as I thought it was a response to one of our posters. 😆
Strictly speaking, the original “game” was to find the shortest quote from a movie that would make it identifiable. So using titles is cheating, I admit it. 🙂
So an attempt at the shortest phrase “Bond” – how’s that?
CLINT FLICK
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:37 PM
Comment #98Irob
Alsi, mate…just buying players with a sell on is the last bunch’s plan.
We want players that wanna play for us and win stuff… Now!
If they believe their own hype, particularly as a relative bairn…i spy baggage!
😉
niafron
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:46 PM
Comment #9985 millions… for these pro russians mafioso of Donetsk… hum… next candidate please?
investinyouthtoon
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:49 PM
Comment #100Cleveley – whilst you’re asking i wouldn’t say no to either Alice Campello or Annekee Molenaar.
CLINT FLICK
Nov 16, 2022 at 1:52 PM
Comment #101https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/16/world-cup-quiz-21-tournaments?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Here, give it a shot, if ya bored…or have work to avoid…
I got 13/21.
😉
Bills Son Is Back
Nov 16, 2022 at 2:24 PM
Comment #102On Mudryk
His club mention Grealish, Antony and Sancho to justify he will cost huge money…
Not wise, as none of them are pulling up trees yet with their new sides.
At Villa, Grealish saw a load of the ball, could drift where he wanted. He doesn’t see anywhere near the same amount of the ball at MC, and he has to stick to where Guardiola tells him to play. Result? He isn’t anywhere near as effective.
Grealish, Antony and Sancho have also played in leagues way above what Murdyk has…
My point? There is no guarantee that Murdyk, no matter how sensational he looks for Shaktar, can reproduce that same level of performance in the Prem.
Look at Pepe who looked just as sensational and went to Arsenal for £73M, a record fee for a winger at the time. Where is he now?
That’s not to say Murdyk won’t turn out to be a massive success in the Prem, but at anywhere north of £50M he is a massive risk.