Lucescu at Shakhtar Donetsk Says Sudakov Reminds Him of Mkhitaryan

Mircea Lucescu, former manager of Shakhtar Donetsk, heaped praise on midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, who is understood to be attracting interest from Serie A outfits Juventus and Napoli. In a conversation with Tuttosport, Lucescu shed light on Sudakov’s competencies as a budding footballer.

“He’s a remarkably strong offensive midfielder,” Lucescu told Tuttosport. “He performs well in both phases of the game. His usual role is to start from the left and aim for a right-footed shot. He’s got a good foot and embodies quality. In the middle of the pitch, he makes his presence felt: he runs a lot and invaluable in regaining possession.”

Lucescu, during the conversation, also drew comparisons between Sudakov and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. “I see in him qualities akin to Mkhitaryan, albeit the Armenian is more offensive. Both are good at attacking spaces. Sudakov comes more into the heart of the game in midfield, even though he also likes rushing forward to conclude the action. The Inter Milan player is more of a goalscorer though now he plays further back. Sudakov, however, may become an exceptional player like Mkhitaryan,” he added.