Chelsea have made further enquiries about signing Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, according to The Express.
It was reported earlier this month that the Blues, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool were keeping tabs on the Ukrainian international.
However, The Express claim that the two clubs who have shown the most interest in Sudakov so far are Chelsea and Tottenham.
It is believed that both have “held talks” with Shakhtar about a potential deal during the summer transfer window.
Sudakov won’t be available on the cheap
Serie A club Napoli are said to have had two bids turned down for the 21-year-old in January, worth £34m and £43m, with Shakhtar having reportedly slapped a £65m price on the player.
Sudakov will be playing for Ukraine at Euro 2024 and his club are keen to wait until after the tournament to sell him in the hope of getting the highest fee possible. Of course, the playmaker will need to impress during his time in Germany to attract the kind of offers that could get him a move.
Do Chelsea need Sudakov?
While the Ukrainian clearly has plenty of potential, the Blues are well-stocked for no.10s in their first-team squad. Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku are already at the club, while the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka and Conor Gallagher can be deployed there if needed.
Sudakov has occasionally been selected on the left wing but the vast majority of his games at senior level have been in central positions, playing just behind a no.9.
That £65m would be put to better use by recruiting a striker who can compete with Nicolas Jackson. RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is another target for the Blues and, with a release clause set at £55m, pursuing someone like the Slovenian should take priority over Sudakov.
