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Arsenal target Mykhailo Mudryk LIKES a mock photo of himself behind bars created by a fan who urged Shakhtar Donetsk to ‘release’ him… with the Gunners offering £62m for the winger he will be rejected
Arsenal transfer target Mykhailo Mudryk liked a social media post showing him behind bars with the caption #freeMudryk, in a meme that points to the Gunners’ persecution of the winger and the refusal of the Shakhtar Donetsk to allow him to go so far.
The Ukrainian star has been hounded by Mikel Arteta’s team for the past month as they aim to strengthen their squad to boost their title hopes.
Sportsmail previously reported how Shakhtar Donetsk were set to reject Arsenal’s £62m second offer for Mudryk after turning down their initial £52m offer.
Arsenal transfer target Mykhaylo Mudryk liked a social media post calling for his club to #freeMudryk, in connection with the Gunners’ search for the Shakhtar Donetsk star.
And Mudryk dropped another potential hint about his future after he liked an Instagram post from an account called ‘Arsenal_memes’.
In the post, Mudryk was photoshopped behind bars in jail with a Shakhtar badge and a Ukrainian flag in the background.
The caption read #freeMudryk and the Shakhtar star loved the attention.
It’s not the first hint he’s given regarding his future after he also tuned in to Brighton’s Premier League clash with Arsenal on New Year’s Eve, sharing his admiration for both bosses.
Mudryk posted a picture of Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and captioned it “Top 2 manager.”
Arsenal have been eyeing a move for Mudryk, but now he could face competition from Chelsea.
De Zerbi and Mudryk worked together when the 43-year-old spent a year in charge of the Ukrainian team during the 2021-22 season, before joining the Seagulls earlier this season following the departure of Graham Potter.
With the Gunners’ second offer about to be rejected, it puts a damper on optimism that a deal would be struck in this transfer window.
Arsenal could now also face competition from Chelsea, who are believed to be exploring a potential move for Mudryk and are set to hold talks about the player this week.
Sources in Ukraine have told Sportsmail that, with CEO Sergei Palkin now speaking to both clubs, Shakhtar is likely to reject Arsenal’s improved offer as it remains “far” from its €100m target.
Mykhailo Mudryk praised Mikel Arteta and Roberto De Zerbi when watching Arsenal this month
Darijo Srna, Shakhtar’s director of football, is said to be in England for talks in the coming days. The Croatian visits London quite regularly, Sportsmail understands, because his family lives in the city.
Chelsea are not believed to have made their own offer for Mudryk as it stands, but their interest could drive up his price. This despite the fact that the winger made clear his desire to join Arsenal.
Shakhtar regard Jack Grealish’s £100m transfer to Manchester City and Antony’s £85m transfer to Manchester United as a barometer of any fee for Mudryk, who was described last week as a potential Ballon de Gold for his former manager De Zerbi