Chelsea spent £62m on a player with 12 career goals who has never played outside Ukraine, so who is Mykhailo Mudryk and why has he caught the eye?
The 22-year-old left winger of Shakhtar Donetsk, who has played eight times for the Ukrainian national team, has increased his status in the Champions League this season.
So far this season, he has scored just two goals in 47 appearances for three different clubs in his homeland.
But this season, his form and profile soared to greater heights.
Mudryk scored three times in the group stage of the Champions League for Shakhtar – against Leipzig, and then twice against Celtic. That’s more than any Chelsea player has managed. He also had two assists.
Mudryk, who is under contract until 2031 and could cost Chelsea a further £27m in bonuses, has scored seven goals in his last eight Ukrainian Premier League games and provided six assists in 12 appearances.
In fact, he averaged a goal or assist every 65 minutes in the Ukrainian league this season and every 79 minutes last season.
All this against the background of uncertainty in his homeland due to the continued invasion of Russia. This season, “Shakhtar” played home matches in Kyiv, Lviv and the capital of Poland, Warsaw.
Mudryk does not feel a lack of ambition and declared his desire to win the “Golden Ball” this weekend.
At the presentation of the title of the best player of the year of Shakhtar for the second time in a row he told the club website:“Nobody expected me to win the Shakhtar Player of the Year award in 2021, and nobody expects me to win the Ballon d’Or, but one day it might happen. This is one of my personal goals.”
Mudryk stepped in after most of Shakhtar’s foreign players left for free following FIFA’s ruling last year that non-Ukrainians could have their contracts suspended following the Russian invasion.
Shakhtar claimed £43m in damages from FIFA for lost transfer fees – and this is likely what prompted the club to demand such a high fee for one of their few salable assets.
Before this season, Mudryk would not have been too well known outside of his homeland.
He had zero loan spells with Arsenal Kyiv in the 2018-19 season and Desna Chernihiv in the 2020-21 season, as well as several appearances for his hometown club.
He made his Champions League debut last season and scored two goals in the Ukrainian Premier League, which was never completed due to the war.
But it is precisely because of his results this campaign that Mudryk has become a target for several of Europe’s top teams.
Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov said: “I am sure that Mykhailo will win the respect, sympathy and love of all connoisseurs of world football with his speed, his technique, his impressive and beautiful game.”
Mudryk has also become a regular for Ukraine since his debut in June 2022, making six of eight appearances against Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
Chelsea called Mudryk “a skilful player with plenty of pace” and “one of the most dangerous attacking players in Europe in one-on-one situations”.
Blues chairman Todd Boley and co-controlling owner Behdad Egbali added in a statement: “He is an extremely exciting talent who we believe will be a terrific addition to our team both now and in the years to come.”
According to materials: BBC
