Chelsea FC
Chelsea FC
Chelsea have given Mykhailo Mudryk the go ahead to leave on loan this summer. The winger is building up his fitness after almost two years away from the game. As per the latest transfer news, Chelsea are ready to sanction his temporary exit before the deadline.
Long road back to fitness for Mykhailo Mudryk
As reported by BBC, Chelsea are open to letting Mykhailo Mudryk join another club before the deadline in September. The 25-year-old has not played a competitive match since November 2024, when he was given a four-year ban for a failed drug test. His case, centered on the banned substance meldonium, was resolved through an agreement after being provisionally suspended for close to two years.
That suspension has now been settled through an agreement, and the door is open for his return. He has already come off the bench in pre-season games against Juventus and AC Milan, and also featured against Johor Darul Ta’zim on Chelsea’s tour of Asia, though his touches so far have been brief and understandably rusty.
Mykhailo Mudryk’s stats in the 2024-25 season at Chelsea, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Appearances Goals Assists
EFL Cup 2 0 1
EURO 2 0 0
Conference League 4 3 3
Loan options present on the table
Strasbourg have come up as one option for the winger this summer, with the French side sharing the same BlueCo ownership as Chelsea. Mykhailo Mudryk, though, is said to want a return to English football instead, having first made his name in the Premier League after joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023 for a reported fee of £61m. A few clubs in Italy have also shown interest, so Chelsea have more than one offer to weigh up before the September deadline closes.
A loan also fits the tactical picture at Chelsea. Mykhailo Mudryk needs regular minutes to rebuild sharpness after 20 months out, something substitute cameos in pre-season friendlies cannot fully replicate. A side that plays with width and gets its wingers in behind, rather than one built around possession through the middle, would suit his pace far better than a squad rotation role at Stamford Bridge. The Blues, in turn, can free up a crowded left flank without losing his long-term sell-on value.
What this means for Chelsea
Chelsea seem happy to wait for the right offer rather than force a deal through. They want any loan sorted before the 1 September deadline. A loan protects that long-term value while giving him a proper platform to prove his form again, and it frees up a squad slot for Xabi Alonso, who already has strong options up front in the Premier League this season.
Mykhailo Mudryk arrived at the Stamford Bridge in 2023 as one of the most sought-after wingers in Europe, with Chelsea beating Arsenal to his signature. Three years on, his story is now about trust rather than talent, after a doping ban wiped out almost two full seasons of his career. The £61m fee and the contract running to 2031 mean little unless he can rediscover the end product that made him a target in the first place.
A settled loan spell with regular game time looks like the most sensible route back for both player and club. How he performs on loan, more than anything said about him this summer, will decide whether he has a long-term future at Chelsea or not.
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