Arsenal close to landing Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar in £80m deal

Talks ongoing but up-front fee of more than £50m expected

ON THE MOVE: Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykhaylo Mudryk.

Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk for an eventual fee of up to £80m, meaning their long pursuit of the player is on the verge of a successful conclusion.

Mudryk has been Mikel Arteta’s top winter target but negotiations with the Ukrainian champions, who drive a notoriously hard bargain, have not been straightforward. Nor are they complete, with the nature of add-ons and terms of payment understood to be the biggest remaining sticking points, but the sides are within touching distance of a final fee.