Fabrizio Romano has reaffirmed that it will take more than €50m (£43.6m) for Newcastle to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk.

As per Football Insider, Eddie Howe has recently given the Magpies’ recruitment team the go-ahead to pursue a potential deal for the Ukranian sensation. The English coach is believed to be a ‘firm admirer’ of the Shakhtar Donetsk winger, who may be the man that he decides to sign as he looks to bring in another attacker.

90min reported that some Newcastle recruitment staff were at Hampden Park on Wednesday night to get a closer look at the 21-year-old in Ukraine’s UEFA Nations League clash against Scotland.

Mudryk has quickly gained a glowing reputation across Europe, having scored two goals and set up two more in the Champions League in his first two appearances in this season’s group stage.

Arsenal are also said to be tracking the 21-year-old, while Brentford had a £26m bid rejected in the summer, but Romano has now stated that it could take double that amount for Shakhtar to part ways with the starlet, who has been dubbed the ‘Ukrainian Messi’.

As per the journalist on Twitter, he said: ‘Nothing has changed about Shakhtar Donetsk position on Mudryk: €30m Everton bid turned down, no bid from Arsenal [talks with his agents, strong interest but no proposal made]

‘Shakhtar remain on the same point: they want more than €50m for Mudryk.’

Averaging a direct goal involvement every 87 minutes, Mudryk could become a tremendous prospective acquisition for Newcastle. 

Predominantly a left winger, he could fill an Allan Saint-Maximin-sized hole with which Howe’s team have struggled to cope in the 25-year-old’s recent absence. Newcastle have scored just once from open play in the three games that the Frenchman has missed through injury, and will need alternative options given Saint-Maximin’s unenviable fitness record.

Bringing in Mudryk would undoubtedly add another dimension to the Magpies’ attack, but the Tynesiders certainly weren’t the only club running an eye over him in Glasgow last night, and PIF would be well advised to try and act swiftly if they are serious about bringing the Ukrainian to St James’ Park in January.