Romano also said Potter had a phone call with the Mudryk a couple of days ago ahead of the west Londoners’ opening bid for the striker on Saturday
By Kehinde Okeowo
Italian journalist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano has said Chelsea manager, Graham Potter, played a huge role in convincing Mykhaylo Mudryk to join Chelsea instead of Arsenal.
Mudryk was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates at the start of the January window but Chelsea appeared to have hijacked the deal and are now poised to sign the exciting winger.
Romano said Potter had a phone call with the 22-year-old a couple of days ago ahead of the west Londoners’ opening bid on Saturday.
He said the 47-year-old English tactician explained the project that is unfolding at Stamford Bridge to Mudryk and that it was the first ‘concrete step’ in luring the Ukraine international away from Mikel Arteta’s side.
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According to football.london talks between Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk were thought to have been progressing well, with the Gunners tabling an initial bid in the region of £55million in late December.
Since then, Arsenal have remained in contact with the Ukrainian side and, as recently as Friday, there was confidence that they were wrapping up a deal.
However, on Saturday, Chelsea submitted a bid of their own which is thought to be around £88million, including add-ons; Shakhtar’s long-standing asking price.
It’s believed that the Gunners are not willing to be dragged into a bidding war and are unlikely to match their London rival’s offer
Chelsea have released a statement on the matter, confirming that the club are in discussions with the Ukrainian side for the transfer of Mudryk and that the transfer is nearing completion.
Potter is renowned for his ’emotional intelligence’ and ability to manage the psychology of players.