Aston Villa, Spurs, and Newcastle United in six-team Premier League transfer chase for 24-cap international

Aston Villa along with five of their Premier League rivals have reportedly been scouting out their next possible big money move.

According to Caught Offside, Villa along with Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, and Newcastle United have been scouting Ukrainian midfielder Georgiy Sudakov. Arsenal and Liverpool representatives were in attendance for Donetsk's recent matches with LNZ Cherkasy and Veres Rivne.

Shaktar Donetsk are reportedly demanding €65m for Sudakov who is regarded as their star player. The 22-year-old is an attacking midfielder with 24 caps for the Ukrainian national team. He's currently contracted to Donetsk until the summer of 2028, after coming through their academy.

Reigning champions Manchester City are also admirers of Sudakov, according to a report from iNews. Last week, it was said by the Football Insider that Man City had been 'laying the groundwork' to make a deal for Sudakov possible.

This season, Sudakov has made 10 appearances in all competitions with seven goals and two assists. To date, he has made 111 appearances for Donetsk, with 27 goals and 20 assists.

At international level, he has scored three goals, and most recently netted in a 1-0 win against Georgia. Arsenal, who are one of the club’s reportedly interested in him, play Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium in the UEFA Champions League later this month, and so they will get an idea of if Sudakov is up to the standard of the Premier League.

In January 2023, Chelsea paid £62m up-front for Sudakov's international teammate Mykhalio Mudryk from Donetsk. Earlier this year, Sudakov spoke of his desire to play in England, and potentially at the same club.

“I was telling Misha [Mudryk] about how much I want to play in the Premier League and how it would be great to play in the same team,” said Mudakov in an interview with the i Newspaper in May.

“Misha told me that I was not ready for the kind of pressure that happens in England and if I do come I need to be ready for that. But I am.”