Liverpool join race to sign Arsenal-linked forward: Reports

Liverpool have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk. The Reds are the latest club linked with the Ukrainian, who was also on the radar of Everton and Real Madrid.

As per a report in Calciomercato, Jurgen Klopp's side are plotting a move for Mudryk in January. The Reds reportedly see him as a direct replacement for Sadio Mane and competition for Luis Diaz.

Mudryk has done well in the Champions League this season. The winger has scored twice and assisted as many times in the first two games of the campaign. He scored a goal and provided two assists in the game against RB Leipzig and also hit the back of the net when Shakhtar Donetsk faced Celtic.

However, he has not been able to replicate that form in the Premier Liga, as he has managed just one assist in three games.

Liverpool ECHO reports that Brentford came close to signing the winger in the summer. Arsenal were also interested but pulled out after learning about Shakhtar Donetsk's asking price of £30 million.

Fichajes confirmed Real Madrid's interest in Mudryk last week but Los Blancos are just in the scouting phase, as per the report.

Are Arsenal the front runners to sign Liverpool target?

Journalist Ben Jacobs spoke about Liverpool target Mudryk on the Football Terrace last week and claimed the Gunners were ahead in the race for the winger. Mikel Arteta's side have reportedly been tracking the player for some time.

Jacobs said the following on the Gunners' interest in Mudryk:

"Mudryk is on Arsenal's radar but they never made a bid in the last window but they certainly enquired about the player. And he's very open to the Arsenal move if they come calling and there's a parallel almost between Mudryk and Youri Tielemans in that respect."

"Tielemans said very openly that he wanted Arsenal but Arsenal never came in. With Mudryk, he's now said on record to myself that if Arsenal made an offer it would be very hard to say no but Arsenal haven't moved."

Jacobs added:

"And one of the reasons why they haven't moved is because Shakhtar are asking for over €50 million and Arsenal's valuation is much closer to €30 million. It may be in January that the interested parties are able to meet somewhere in the middle."

"But the challenge from the perspective of a prospective buyer is that if Mudryk keeps scoring in the Champions League, and he's now two for two and his goal against Celtic was an absolute rocket, the price is only going to go up."

The Gunners are currently at the top of the Premier League table with 18 points while Liverpool have managed just nine points and are in eighth place.