£44m may not be enough for Liverpool to sign reported transfer target Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donestk.
That’s according to journalist Fabrizio Romano. Writing for Caught Offside, Romano claimed that the Ukrainian side will ask for more than that to entertain a January sale.
“Shakhtar will take their time and I’m sure they want more than €45-50m (£39m-44m) for Mudryk,” he said. “But we’ve to see how his performances in the Champions League will be in the next weeks.
Liverpool are reportedly one of several teams now interested in Mudryk. The 21-year-old has been one of the standout performers of this season’s Champions League so far.
An enticing price, but Liverpool need to invest elsewhere
For the kind of price Romano is suggesting here, it seems unlikely that Liverpool would pursue Mudryk.
There have been reports over the weekend that the Reds are one of the teams seriously interested in the Ukranian.
But Liverpool are already pretty well stocked in his left-wing position. If they’re to invest that kind of money into a signing, they’d be better off looking at a central midfielder.
Still, Mudryk does look like a rare talent. His pace and dribbling ability has frightened the life out of RB Leipzig and Celtic in the Champions League’s opening two games.
And Real Madrid are now on Shakhtar’s calendar twice in the coming weeks. Should he continue to dazzle against the European Champions, his stock will rise even further still.
Whenever a new talent like Mudryk emerges, there’s bound to be interest from top sides. In the current market, Romano’s quoted price wouldn’t seem like an outrageous amount.
But Liverpool’s needs lie elsewhere in the winter window. At another time, spending £50m on a player like Mudryk may be prudent. For now though, the Reds’ recruitment should be focused on finding a midfielder in a similar, or cheaper, price range.
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