This week in London, Chelsea will meet with Mykhaylo Mudryk’s representatives in an effort to steal him away from Arsenal.

The current offer from Arsenal for the Shakhtar Donetsk star is £62m, which is far less than what the Ukrainian club is requesting.

Chelsea is expected to enter the fight, having already begun conversations, despite the fact that the Gunners have already agreed to personal terms over a five-year agreement with Mudryk, worth roughly £120k-a-week.

The Blues might beat out the Premier League-leading Gunners for the acquisition if they are willing to pay the asking price of roughly £60 million plus another £20 million in add-ons and provide better conditions.

In addition, Darijo Srna, the sporting director of Shakhtar, will be making a trip to London this week for negotiations.

This month, Todd Boehly plans to invest heavily to assist Graham Potter in reversing their dismal performance.

Enzo Fernandez, Benfica’s World Cup-winning midfielder, is a target, but they may not have the means to acquire both the Argentine and Mudryk in the same window.

Mudryk has long hinted at a transfer to The Emirates, openly discussing his desire to join the club and showing photos of himself watching recent games on social media.

Mikel Arteta’s squad remains Mudryk’s preferred destination, although a transfer to The Gunners seems far off at this point.

The north London club is still hopeful an agreement will be reached this month, and they want to make sure they have all the details worked out before Shakhtar heads to Turkey for a training camp next week.

Chelsea’s discussions, though, raise the possibility that the controversy may go beyond the deadline.

The winger is Arsenal’s top transfer target this month after tallying 10 goals and eight assists in 18 games across all competitions.

After losing striker Gabriel Jesus to knee surgery, the Gunners desperately need a forward to relieve the wear and tear on Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, who have appeared in every game this season.

YNaija