Chelsea plot another Shakhtar raid for midfielder who is ‘close friends’ with Mudryk | OneFootball

Chelsea are plotting another raid on Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk this summer as they eye a move for midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, according to the Daily Mail.

The Blues are preparing to shake up the squad again this summer after enduring a turbulent campaign plagued by injuries, inexperience, and inconsistency.

For the first time in the Mauricio Pochettino era, Chelsea are seventh in the Premier League table and on course to secure European football next season.

The Blues have already begun making plans for the summer and have reportedly opened talks to sign Sudakov, who is highly rated in the Ukrainian top flight.

The 21-year-old has bagged five goals and two assists in 22 league appearances and averages 1.5 key passes, 1.4 interceptions, and 3.7 ball recoveries per match.

He has been a consistent performer for Shakhtar this season, averaging a hugely impressive 7.61 match rating per 90 and is bound to clinch a high-profile move in the future.

Premier League trio Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool have all scouted Sudakov this season while he is also attracting interest from clubs in Italy.

However, Chelsea are looking to beat the competition and are preparing to launch a bid for the £65 million-rated Ukrainian midfielder this summer.

The Blues have held discussions with the player’s representatives in recent weeks to gauge the figures involved in a potential deal.

Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin was also pictured at Stamford Bridge during Chelsea’s 6-0 victory over Everton, sparking further rumours of a potential deal in the pipeline.

Sudakov is close friends with Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who has struggled to adapt to life in the English capital since moving to west London from Shakhtar last summer.

The playmaker recently signed a new contract keeping him at Shakhtar until 2028. But there’s a release clause of around £125m that will become active from June.

Despite the clause, the Ukrainians are expected to negotiate a lesser fee for their prized asset and Chelsea’s good rapport with Shakhtar should aid their potential move for Sudakov this summer.