Chelsea have agreed an £85m deal with Shakhtar Donetsk for winger Mykhailo Mudric.
Sky Sports News Mudrick is said to have been on his way to west London for a medical on Saturday.
It is believed that Chelsea are confident of securing the transfer and have offered the 22-year-old a seven-and-a-half-year deal.
A statement from Shakhtar on Saturday night confirmed a deal was ‘very close’.
Arsenal remained in talks as recently as Friday but were prepared to walk away from the transfer if the deal was not right.
In social media posts, Mudric has previously indicated that Arsenal is his preferred destination, with personal terms not expected to be an issue.
He liked a parody Instagram post depicting him being held captive by Shakhtar Donetsk as he continued to push for bigger offers, and uploaded posts of him watching Arsenal games and describing Mikel Arteta as a “top coach”.
Mykhailo Mudryk liked a post from Arsenal memes account
Chelsea boss Todd Bohly has already approved moves for Benoit Badiachele, David Fofana and Andre Santos in the January window, while adding loan signing Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid.
Why Mudryk is in demand
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Brighton head coach Roberto de Gerby, who previously managed Mudric at Shakhtar Donetsk, has high praise for the 22-year-old.
At the start of last season, he was unknown outside Ukraine with a transfer price of less than £1m. Now he is one of the most prestigious young players in Europe. After explosive growth, Mudryk seems destined for bigger things.
The 21-year-old, who showed his exciting pace and one-on-one ability in the Champions League group stages earlier this season, has been called “the best player in Europe” by Shakhtar Donetsk director of football Darizo Shrana. His position “after Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
There may be a hint of exaggeration in that statement, but they are not the only refuge in which the currency is held in high esteem. His list of suitors is long, with Chelsea closing in on the race to sign him.
