Mykhailo Mudryk was reportedly left devastated after his move to Arsenal failed to materialise, which saw him moving to rivals, Chelsea, instead. The London club paid close to £89 Million for the Ukrainian in the Winter of the 2022/23 season to end the transfer saga. The player has since only managed to score five goals in all competitions, but there are signs of improvement as he picked up the MOTM award vs Leeds United in the FA Cup fifth round.
Mudryk Was Left ‘Devastated’ After Arsenal Transfer Collapsed
The Mudryk Saga Began in 2022
Arsenal’s interest in Mykhailo Mudryk was confirmed in 2022 by the Shakhtar vice director himself. His performances in the Ukrainian Premier League and the UEFA Champions League caught the eye of football fans around the world. The 23-year-old struck 10 goals and 9 assists in just 18 games in the half-season period during his time in Ukraine.
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With Arsenal’s interest building, and Mudryk himself dropping hints on social media about his preference towards the Gunners, the transfer seemed inevitable. However, following a series of rejected bids, Chelsea swooped in and paid the price to end the saga and steal the player from Arteta’s clutches.
Mudryk couldn’t have made his preference clearer though; he was reportedly ‘devastated’ after his dream transfer collapsed, reports the Athletic. This could explain the Ukrainian’s underwhelming form since joining the London outlet. His football has transitioned into being erratic and confused, marked with a lack of confidence. After failing to score a single goal in the remainder of the 2022/23 season, Mudryk has managed to add just four to his Chelsea career tally in the current season.
It is believed that Mudryk “still has admirers at Arsenal who believe his talent can still be unlocked”. Arteta and his team seemed convinced of his talent last year given the money they were prepared to pay. Potentially if the circumstances are right, they could go back again to try and make a deal happen in future.
Are Arsenal as Devastated as Mudryk?
A wonderful Chelsea goal. 👌#CFC | #EmiratesFACup https://t.co/XTYL8I8JIU pic.twitter.com/mVrjpIPpuA
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 28, 2024
Following the confirmation of Chelsea’s agreement with Shakhtar, Arsenal were very quick to pivot in their transfer strategy and have been commended for this. The Gunners swooped up Leandro Trossard for around £27 Million and the Belgian has tallied 11 goals and 12 assists during his total time at the North London club. That’s almost four times Mudryk’s total number of goal involvements for Chelsea, and at under a third of the price too. It’s obvious who got the better part of the deal here so far.
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Nonetheless, in a world where the Mudryk to Arsenal transfer does go through, it would entirely be possible for the Gunners to extract similar value out of the Ukrainian, as they did with Trossard. With the winger’s passion to play for the club combined with Arteta’s management and the highly-praised culture and environment, fans may have seen a much more dangerous player.
Chelsea’s Spending Spree May Come Back To Haunt Them
Rumours surrounding Chelsea and the FFP (Financial Fair Play) regulations have been doing the rounds following their recent spending sprees of close to £1 Billion. The board will undoubtedly be making efforts to ensure this doesn’t come back to haunt them, and this could involve cutting certain players from their squad.
Mudryk could be one of these names, given his young age and high potential. Arsenal still admire the player and may still have space for a new attacker in the squad, so a deal could happen sooner or later. If so, Mudryk would follow in the paths of Kai Havertz and Jorginho – both of whom are currently key squad assets in a title-challenging Arsenal side.
