A number of “big clubs” have made contact with Shakhtar Donetsk about signing Manchester City target Georgiy Sudakov, according to the team’s CEO Sergei Palkin.

Officials from the Ukrainian club were in London this week to begin talks with teams about potential transfers. Speaking about Sudakov’s situation, Palkin said:

“This summer window, he has a big chance to move to some big clubs. We have had some contacts with big clubs and some are not negotiating with us directly but are getting a feel for the summer environment.”

“He will definitely move to a top European club this summer. When I was at Chelsea versus Everton on Monday, many people asked me about Sudakov.”

Sudakov is a player in demand

City were originally linked with the Ukrainian international last year, when it was reported that scouts were impressed with his performance against England in a 1-1 draw.

Brighton, Arsenal and Chelsea were mentioned as other potential suitors at the time, while Liverpool and Manchester United have been credited with an interest since then.

City will be in the market for a midfielder

Pep Guardiola’s side could well be looking to reinforce their options in the middle of the park this summer. Not only is Kalvin Phillips expected to leave the Etihad on a permanent basis, but there are questions over the futures of both Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.

Silva has a £50m release clause in his contract, while De Bruyne is closing in on the final year of his current deal. Both could be vulnerable to offers from Saudi Arabia.

Whether Sudakov is the right replacement for either player, though, it is up for debate. Despite his asking price being a reported £60m, the 21-year-old is relatively inexperienced. He has scored 17 times in 95 senior appearances for Shakhtar since making his debut in 2020.