Chelsea Signs Shakhtar Donetsk Winger Mudryk for £85m
Chelsea Signs Shakhtar Donetsk Winger Mudryk for £85m
As reported on Friday that Arsenal were in talks to sign Mudryk, but walked away from the transfer deal.
In social media posts, Mudryk had previously indicated Arsenal was his preferred destination, with personal terms not expected to have been a problem.
Chelsea sign Mudryk in incredible £89m deal after hijacking Arsenal’s move for Shakhtar winger
Chelsea made last-second flight to seal deal
Hijack young star from Arsenal
Seven-year contract agreed
While the Gunners have heavily been linked with the Shakhtar Donetsk winger all winter, the Blues have remained in the picture too. As first reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Chelsea board flew to Poland in an attempt to reach a verbal agreement over a €100 million ($108m/£89m) offer.
And now personal terms between Chelsea and Mudryk for a seven-year contract have also been agreed, with the player ready to head to London for a medical.
“FC Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov and Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali discussed Mykhailo Mudryk’s transfer to Chelsea FC today,” the club tweeted. “Parties are very close to agree on player’s transfer to the club.”
The Ukrainian international, who turned 22 earlier this month, has put pen to paper on an eight-and-a-half year contract with the Blues to seal his move to Stamford Bridge.
‘I’m so happy to sign for Chelsea,’ Mudryk said after completing his move.
‘This is a huge club, in a fantastic league and it is a very attractive project for me at this stage of my career. I’m excited to meet my new team-mates and I’m looking forward to working and learning under Graham Potter and his staff.’
A skillful player with plenty of pace, Mudryk has quickly built a reputation as one of the most dangerous attacking players in Europe in one-v-one situations. Primarily a wide player, he has featured on both wings for Shakhtar Donetsk, but many of his best performances came when cutting in from the left onto his preferred right foot.
The threat he causes in the final third is underlined by his 18 goal involvements in as many games in all competitions this season, including three goals and two assists in the Champions League group stage.
Todd Boehly, Chelsea chairman, and Behdad Eghbali, co-controlling owner, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Mykhailo to Chelsea. He’s a hugely exciting talent who we believe will be a terrific addition to our squad both now and in the years to come. He will add further depth to our attack and we know he’ll get a very warm welcome to London.’
Mudryk joined the Shakhtar Donetsk academy in 2016 and, after a handful of senior appearances and loans to fellow Ukrainian Premier Liga sides Arsenal Kyiv and Desna Chernigiv, made his first-team breakthrough over the course of the 2021/22 season, with two goals and seven assists in 11 league games.
His club form earned Mudryk a place in the senior Ukraine squad last year, receiving eight caps since making his international debut in their win over Scotland in the FIFA World Cup qualifying play-offs in June.
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