Shakhtar Donetsk CEO shares what he told Edu after Arsenal’s huge bid for Mykhailo Mudryk

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Arsenal have missed out on Mykhailo Mudryk and Shakhtar Donetsk told Edu that a deal was just not possible for the winger.

The Gunners have been linked with a move to sign Mudryk since August.

Arsenal seemingly realised that Mudryk was a huge talent weeks before he started shining in the Champions League.

There have been hundreds of rumours about Mudryk since the summer window and most of them surrounded a move to Arsenal.

Yet just as rumours of Arsenal finally striking a deal with Shakhtar started ramping up last week, Chelsea swooped in to hijack their London rivals.

Chelsea struck an enormous deal worth around £88million on Saturday and paraded Mudryk as a new Chelsea player on Sunday afternoon.

What looked like a sure thing with Arsenal not only disappeared, but then ended up being done with their bitter rivals Chelsea.

That’s a bitter pill for Arsenal to swallow and Edu must now move on to other targets ahead of the transfer deadline.

Shakhtar CEO opens up on Arsenal failing to sign Mykhailo Mudryk

Sergei Palkin, Shakhtar’s chief executive, has now spoken to The Athletic about one of the most dramatic transfer sagas in recent times.

Palkin claims that Shakhtar were communicating with Arsenal that there was ‘no chance’ to close a deal for Mudryk.

Arsenal came back in with an offer worth €70million (£61.5million) plus €30million (£26.5million) in add-ons, but Shakhtar still weren’t having it.

Talks centred around how the add-ons would be paid and Shakhtar realised that a deal just wouldn’t be happening.

Palkin told Edu that he did his best to strike a deal, but informed the Brazilian that move just was ‘not possible’ under the terms Arsenal offered.

“Before Chelsea arrived in Turkey, we almost agreed with Arsenal that there was no chance to close (the deal),” said Palkin. “When they proposed the final offer of €70million plus €30million (in add-ons), we sat down and started to talk internally about how it will be fulfilled in terms of the payments, the fixed part and the bonus issues. We realised we will not close this deal (with Arsenal). I said to Edu that I did my best but it was not possible,” he added.

Chelsea swooped in and paid what Shakhtar were seeking and whilst Edu and Mikel Arteta will be disappointed, they will ultimately feel that they stuck to their valuation rather than being bullied – and if Mudryk wants to join a somewhat chaotic project at Chelsea, then he is welcome to do so.