Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to take Mykhailo Mudryk from Chelsea on a year-long loan.
Spurs also have the option to make the deal permanent for a fee of £75 million. In the immediate term, it is an opportunity for the Ukrainian to find his feet again after 20 months away from the game.
From Shakhtar to Stamford Bridge
Mudryk broke through into the first team at Shakhtar Donetsk under the tutelage of Roberto De Zerbi, who moved to the club from his post of three years at Sassuolo.
He was named Ukrainian Footballer of the Year and Player of the Year for Shakhtar in 2022, earning a move to Chelsea.
Signed for £62 million in January 2023, he became the most expensive Ukrainian player in history. The attacker transitioned through spells under the leadership of Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino in his first year and a half in West London, showing signs of quality without consistency.
·‘I'm so excited to be reunited with Roberto De Zerbi’
Then, his minutes were mostly limited to the Conference League when Enzo Maresca came into the dugout at Stamford Bridge.
And he took another major dent to his career when the FA provisionally suspended him from playing for the Blues after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium.
He was stripped of the number 10 shirt in June 2025, and charges were not dropped till July this year.
Now, the 25-year-old looks forward and wants to reinvigorate his career with the help of a familiar face.
"It's a great feeling. I can't wait to start training and playing for the Club, and I'm so excited to be reunited with Roberto De Zerbi. I'm a player who brings speed and creativity, and I want to help in both the offensive and defensive areas. I want to make the fans excited. I can see it's a strong squad here with good players, and I'm looking forward to sharing a pitch and special moments with them."
De Zerbi backs his former forward
The Italian head coach once said that Mudryk has the talent to win the Ballon d’Or. Even if the statement has aged badly, De Zerbi still feels that the attacker has a lot to give to the game.
"Having worked with Misha earlier in his career, I know exactly what he can bring to our team.
"He has the quality to change a game with his speed and ability in one-vs-one situations, and is an exciting, attacking talent. I will demand a lot from Misha and it is our job to help him find the best version of himself. If we do that then he can become a very important player for us. I am very happy he chose to come here, and I cannot wait to work with him again."