In a shocking turn of events, Chelsea has swooped in for a €100 million ($108.4 million) deal to sign Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk, The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirmed.
The blockbuster move for Chelsea comes after fellow London-based club Arsenal had long been anticipated to be the frontrunner to land Mudryk. ESPN reported on Friday that the Premier League leaders had made a third offer for Mudryk but that Chelsea was still expected to make a play for the Ukrainian winger, even after signing João Félix on loan from Atlético Madrid.
The bid is reportedly comprised of a fixed fee of €70 million with an additional €30 million in add-ons, which matches the valuation that the Ukrainian club set for the 22-year-old’s transfer. The deal is for seven years through 2030, per The Athletic.
According to ESPN, the Blues’ latest offer awarded Mudryk a better wage package and a longer contract than the final offer that Arsenal put forth. Chelsea was aggressive in its pursuit of the Ukrainian prospect, reportedly sending a group comprised of co-owner Behdad Eghbali and director of global talent and transfers Paul Winstanley to Turkey to meet face-to-face with Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov.
On Saturday, Shakhtar released a statement confirming that a deal sending Mudryk to Chelsea was in the works.
Mudryk has impressed this season in the Ukrainian Premier League, tallying seven goals and six assists while helping to power Shakhtar to second in the table. However, it was his performance in the Champions League group stage—three goals and two assists in six matches—that turned the heads of European clubs in recent months.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter certainly has a need for attacking talent, given the team’s recent poor form. Numerous injuries have plagued the Blues since Potter’s takeover in September. Forwards Raheem Sterling, Armando Broja and Christian Pulisic are all currently sidelined with injuries, and Félix will serve a three-game ban after picking up a red card in his debut. Chelsea hasn’t won a Premier League match in three outings thus far in 2023 and has plummeted to 10th in the table through 18 matches.
