Arsenal will have to significantly increase their bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk if they're to win the race for the Shakhtar Donetsk and Ukraine prodigy, according to reports.
The Gunners are said to have had a bid in the region of £55m rejected just before the turn of the year.
But their second offer – thought to be worth roughly £62m – seems to have been scoffed at by Shakhtar, with Goal claiming that the Ukrainian giants are demanding £88m for Mudryk.
The 21-year-old winger is one of the hottest properties in Europe right now and has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal for some time.
Dubbed 'the Ukrainian Neymar', Mudryk could spark a bidding war: Sky Sports report that Chelsea are considering an approach of their own, with owner Todd Boehly set to meet representatives from Shakhtar this week.
Mudryk starred for Shakhtar in this season's Champions League, scoring home and away against Celtic – as well as in a 4-1 thrashing of RB Leipzig in Germany.
Shakhtar ultimately dropped into the Europa League – where he would be able to play for Arsenal, with UEFA abolishing the cup-tied rule in its competitions back in 2018 (he would get Champions League football with Chelsea, though).
Mudryk made his senior Ukraine debut in May last year and has earned eight caps so far, featuring in the World Cup qualifying play-offs against Scotland and Wales.
He's also previously played for Arsenal... during a 2019 loan spell with the Gunners' Kyiv-based namesakes.
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