Ukraine international Mykhailo Mudryk joins Tottenham on season-long loan deal from Chelsea on deadline day
Mykhailo Mudryk last played competitive football in November 2024, scoring in Chelsea's 3-1 win over FC Heidenheim in a UEFA Conference League match.
Tottenham Hotspur completed the signing of Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk before the transfer deadline on Tuesday. Mudryk joins Tottenham on a season-long loan deal from their London rivals. Mudryk joined Chelsea from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 in a €100 million deal.
However, the Ukrainian international's stint at Chelsea hit a roadblock in 2024 after he returned an "adverse finding" for meldonium, a banned substance that helps increase respiratory capacity and stamina.
He was eventually handed a four-year suspension by the Football Association (FA). However, his ban was lifted in July this year after lodging an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Mudryk on reuniting with De Zerbi
“It’s a great feeling. I can’t wait to start training and playing for the club, and I’m so excited to be reunited with Roberto De Zerbi,” the 25-year-old, who has worked with De Zerbi at Shakhtar, said in a video uploaded by Tottenham on their official social media channels.
“He’s my football father. I believe in him. I trust him. I know what he wants from me, and with him I always feel I’m improving," he added.
De Zerbi had backed Mudryk, saying he deserves to play and prove what he missed out on in the last two years. Mudryk last featured for Chelsea in a competitive match on 28 November 2024, when he scored in a 3-1 win over FC Heidenheim in the UEFA Conference League match.
As far as his international career is concerned, Mudryk has played 28 matches for Ukraine since making his debut in 2022 and has scored three goals thus far.
“He’s my son. I’m very happy. He deserves to play. He’s a cool guy, a top player. Hopefully, he can show what he suffered in the last two years in this next season," De Zerbi had told reporters in Australia during Tottenham's pre-season tour of the country in July.
Tottenham have got off to a difficult start to the 2026-27 season as they find themselves at the bottom of the English Premier League standings with no points at all. They suffered a 3-0 loss to Brentford in the opening matchweek of the Premier League season, before going down 2-0 to Newcastle United on Saturday.
Mudryk joining Tottenham comes in the aftermath of the club's failed attempts to sign Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye. While Gakpo will remain at Liverpool, Ndiaye has moved from Everton to Manchester City in a deal reportedly worth up to £65 million.