Whilst West Ham’s [Lucas Paquetá](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-hams-lucas-paqueta-dealt-a-further-hammer-blow/) anxiously awaits the determination of the FA’s excruciating ‘yellow cards for bets’ inquiry, another London Club are having to plan how best deal with the fall-out of their own star Mykhaylo Mudryk’s possible four year ban for doping violations. The ramifications are enormous not just for Chelsea, but following comments from their manager Enzo Maresca it is quite clear the the ‘ripples’ from the affair will spread out across the transfer window pond, with West Ham likely to be the beneficiaries of the sorry affair.
Chelsea winger Mudryk faces anything up to a four-year ban after being charged by the FA with doping offences, and was provisionally suspended in December after producing a positive drug test. The player denies any wrongdoing.
Whether Chelsea admit that it is purely because of the looming potential ban or not, their stated intention is to bring another wide player to the club – and hence put West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus likely back in their transfer cross hairs. Reported in the [mirror.co.uk](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/chelsea-enzo-maresca-mykhailo-mudryk-35422574),:
_“Mudryk – nicknamed Mischa – missed the second half of last season and Chelsea are openly looking for a new winger in the summer window….Chelsea boss Maresca said: “We had already one entire season already without Mischa. We are going to decide to go for a winger.”_
Linked already today with Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea, the Hammers’ attacking midfielder could at last be the subject of bids nearer to West Ham’s anecdotal target of £65 million plus: The ‘official’ £85 million release clause kicks in on 1 July but nobody at London Stadium is expecting that kind of money with Kudus spectacularly under-achieving this year.
However with three London clubs all reportedly looking again at Kudus it seems likely that his days at West Ham are likely to be over in the coming weeks. Whether Chelsea’s misfortune with Mudryk turns out to be to West Ham’s benefit will depend on who has the deepest pockets in London.
_Lucas Paquetá denies all the allegations made against him._