‘I’m inspired by De Bruyne’: £50M star opens door to Liverpool or Tottenham move with Guardiola in race too

A year ago, a highly sought-after midfielder valued at £50 million, already catching the attention of Premier League heavyweights like Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal, compared his playing style to Manchester City’s Phil Foden. However, Phil Foden isn’t the only Manchester City icon that the talented playmaker draws inspiration from.

This season, Georgiy Sudakov has been making waves with his performances in an advanced midfield role, demonstrating a knack for scoring goals and delivering pinpoint moments of brilliance.

With eight goals already to his name, his precise strike in Shakhtar Donetsk’s recent Champions League turnaround against BSC Young Boys had shades of Kevin de Bruyne’s signature style. Such displays have not gone unnoticed, with reports confirming that scouts from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have been tracking Sudakov closely during European matches this season.

Interest in the Ukrainian international isn’t confined to these two clubs. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City have also made inquiries over the last 18 months, with some speculating that Manchester City might see Sudakov as a potential successor to Kevin de Bruyne.

Newcastle United, West Ham United, and Aston Villa have also expressed interest, making it easier to count the clubs not vying for Sudakov’s signature.

Sudakov himself has hinted at a desire to test his skills in the Premier League. In an interview with Marca, the highly coveted midfielder shared his belief that either English or Spanish football would provide the ideal platform for his continued development into one of the sport’s elite talents.

While emphasizing his current commitment to Shakhtar Donetsk, Sudakov admitted that the allure of England or Spain might shape his future.

“For now, my focus is on Shakhtar. I want to keep improving and help the team achieve success,” Sudakov stated. “But in the future, I aspire to challenge myself in one of the top European leagues.

I think my playing style aligns well with either Spain or England. La Liga values technical skills, while the Premier League would push me to develop physically and tactically.”

Shakhtar Donetsk’s sporting director, Darijo Srna, has made it clear that any negotiations for Sudakov would need to begin at £50 million, pointing out that the club had already declined a £40 million offer from Napoli.

Arsenal got an up-close view of Sudakov during Shakhtar’s visit to the Emirates in October, a match that ended in a narrow 1-0 victory for the Gunners. The Ukrainian midfielder didn’t hold back in praising the electric atmosphere at the Emirates, further fueling speculation about a potential move to the Premier League.

In a separate confirmation, Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin revealed to Goal that Manchester City’s interest in Sudakov is genuine. This connection, combined with Sudakov’s admiration for Kevin de Bruyne, has only strengthened speculation about a possible transfer.

As de Bruyne approaches his 34th birthday, Manchester City are undoubtedly evaluating options to secure their midfield’s future, with Sudakov emerging as a logical choice.

The admiration Sudakov holds for de Bruyne goes beyond mere words. In his own reflection on his playing style, Sudakov highlighted the influence of de Bruyne, alongside other greats like Andrés Iniesta and Luka Modrić.

“I see myself as a creative midfielder who thrives on controlling the game, making decisive passes, and contributing in both attack and defense,” Sudakov explained. “Growing up, I admired Iniesta and Modrić for their intelligence and composure on the ball. Today, I look up to Kevin de Bruyne for his creativity and ability to make an impact in the most critical moments.”

Sudakov’s ability to influence matches has been underscored by his combined 16 goals and assists so far this season. With standout qualities like vision, passing accuracy, and game-reading ability, the midfielder has quickly established himself as a leader on the pitch. He openly acknowledges the areas he continues to work on, particularly his finishing and overall fitness, as he strives to become a more complete and versatile player.

Manchester City’s pursuit of midfield reinforcements has seen them linked to other rising stars like Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.

However, Sudakov’s blend of creativity, tactical intelligence, and consistency in delivering key moments makes him a standout candidate to inherit de Bruyne’s mantle. For now, Shakhtar Donetsk remains determined to hold onto their prized asset, but with interest from virtually every corner of Europe, Sudakov’s next move seems destined to place him among the elite of the footballing world.