Last year, a £50 million-rated midfielder on the radar of Premier League giants Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and more likened his style to that of Phil Foden.
But Foden is not the only Manchester City star the in-demand playmaker models himself upon.
With eight goals to his name already this term from that advanced midfield role, the laser-guided finish which turned around Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League clash with BSC Young Boys three weeks ago was one straight out of the Kevin de Bruyne playbook.
TBR understands that scouts working on behalf of both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have watched Georgiy Sudakov in European action this season.
Arsenal, Chelsea and the aforementioned Man City have all made enquiries at some point in the last 18 months too. Perhaps the beleaguered Premier League champions see Sudakov as a potential De Bruyne replacement.
And then there is Newcastle, West Ham United and Aston Villa. In truth, it would probably be quicker naming the clubs who are not chasing Georgiy Sudakov right now.
Georgiy Sudakov of Shakhtar Donetsk runs with the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3 match between Arsenal FC and FC Sh...
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Georgiy Sudakov keen on Premier League switch amid Arsenal and Tottenham interest
Speaking to Marca, meanwhile, Sudakov opened the door to English football with the highly-coveted Ukraine international feeling that his development into one of the game’s premiere talents would be best served either on UK or Spanish soil.
“At the moment, I am focused on Shakhtar. I want to continue to develop and help the team succeed. [But] in the future, I want to try myself in one of the best European championships,” Sudakov admits.
“I think my style is better suited to Spain or England. La Liga values technical skills, while the Premier League would help me improve physically and tactically.”
Darijo Srna, Shakhtar’s sporting director, insists that the bidding for Sudakov must start at £50 million. He also reveals that the Ukrainian giants turned down an offer from Napoli in the region of £40 million not so long ago.
Arsenal were lucky enough to see Sudakov at close quarters back in October. Sudakov was full of praise for the Arsenal atmosphere during Shakhtar’s 1-0 defeat at the Emirates in October.
CEO Sergei Palkin, meanwhile, has confirmed to Goal that Man City are, indeed, ‘interested.
With that in mind, Sudakov’s desire to follow in Kevin de Bruyne’s gilded footsteps is likely to be something further focuses City’s eye.
Sudakov idolises Manchester City hero Kevin de Bruyne
“I consider myself a creative midfielder who loves to control the game, make key passes and help the team both in attack and defence,” Sudakov adds, having contributed 16 goals and assists combined in 2023/24.
“I strive to be a leader on the pitch, a player who sets the pace of the game. As a child, I admired Andres Iniesta and Luka Modric for their intelligence and composure on the ball. I am also inspired by Kevin de Bruyne for his creativity and influence in decisive matches
“My strengths are vision, passing accuracy and reading the game. However, I am constantly working on improving my finishing and fitness to become a more versatile player.”
Man City have been linked with Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Bayer Leverkusen whizzkid Florian Wirtz recently with De Bruyne’s 34th birthday less than 12 months away.
Manchester City have been tipped to move for Aleksey Batrakov of Lokomotiv Moscow too.
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