Liverpool and Barcelona have been handed boost in their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, who is keen on a Premier League or La Liga move this summer.
According to Calciomercato, Liverpool and Barcelona are among those in pole position to sign Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder Georgiy Sudakov in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The promising 21-year-old broke into the Shakhtar first team in 2021 and has scored 14 goals and made 14 assists in 90 senior appearances, including four goals and two assists in 23 games in all competitions so far this season.
Sudakov is considered to be one of the most exciting young prospects in Europe and has attracted major transfer interest over the past year following his performances at the Under-21 European Championship last summer, with a number of top clubs vying for his signature.
Liverpool and Barcelona battle it out for Sudakov
Napoli and Juventus have been linked with a move for the youngster. However, the midfielder is likely to be attracted to the idea of competing in the Premier League or La Liga.
As such, Liverpool are said to be leading the race for the Shakhtar star. The youngster has a €150 million release clause in his contract, which is valid until 2028, but it’s thought that the Ukrainian club would accept an offer in the ballpark of €50 million this summer.
Midfield remains an area that the Reds want to strengthen, having had a high turnover of players in the engine room last summer.
To that end, it would be seen as a real coup if the Reds could win the race for the versatile Ukrainian, who can play several midfield roles—as a central midfielder, as a No. 8 or No. 10—or even out wide. That sort of versatility makes him an extremely attractive option for the Merseysiders.
It seems, though, that Liverpool will have to battle Barcelona for Sudakov. The Reds, however, do have a significant advantage over the Catalan outfit given they are in much better financial shape to land the player, while Barcelona may need to sell a few assets first before making an offer.
