Liverpool and Manchester City watched 22-year-old, highly-rated Ukrainian playmaker Georgiy Sudakov in Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League clash with Atalanta this week.
According to a report by Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, the UEFA Champions League match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Atalanta was popular among scouts, with two of the biggest Premier League clubs dispatching their talent spotters. Liverpool and Manchester City watched Georgiy Sudakov as the Ukrainian giants lost to La Dea earlier this week.
The Georgiy Sudakov story
Georgiy Sudakov has been one of the best young prospects in his homeland in the last few years. A native of Bryanka, Lugansk Oblast, he spent his formative years in Ukraine, passing through the academies at three clubs before graduating from the youth division at Shakhtar Donetsk.
The 22-year-old has gone from strength to strength since breaking into the first-team squad at Shakhtar Donetsk, with his exploits alerting several European bigwigs. While Sudakov has not scaled the heights of the 2023/24 campaign, he still has a decent tally of three goals and one assist in nine appearances across all competitions.
Nevertheless, the highly-rated Ukrainian playmaker remains a hot property in the market, with several high-profile clubs across Europe setting their sights on him. Liverpool and Manchester City recently dispatched scouts to watch the Shakhtar Donetsk mainstay in the UEFA Champions League clash with Atalanta.
Premier League move on the horizon?
Liverpool briefly mulled over signing Georgiy Sudakov from Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this year before a move failed to see the light of day. The continued interest in the Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker is understandable, considering Dominik Szoboszlai has blown hot and cold throughout this year. So, Sudakov is a viable target for Liverpool.
As for Manchester City, the Premier League champions have started planning for life after Kevin De Bruyne. While they are trying everything to secure an agreement with the Belgian playmaker regarding a new contract, he is on the wrong side of 30. So, Sudakov is an option worth considering as De Bruyne’s long-term replacement.
However, Liverpool and Manchester City would not have gained much knowledge regarding Sudakov, considering Atalanta cruised to a 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. It will be interesting to see if either Premier League club will launch the offensive to sign the highly-rated 22-year-old Ukrainian playmaker anytime soon.
