Mykhailo Mudryk - Off to Spurs

[Cjay]

Mykhailo Mudryk

Leeds have made an approach for Mykhailo Mudryk, with Chelsea rejecting the initial loan offer. Talks are continuing, with Chelsea looking for a loan rather than a permanent sale.

Mudryk is reportedly keen on a move to get regular football after almost 20 months without competitive football.

So, is this one worth pursuing?

Mudryk is 25 and primarily a left winger, although he can play on either side. Chelsea signed him from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for an initial £62m, with the deal potentially rising to around £88m.

At Shakhtar, he was regarded as one of the most exciting young attacking players in Europe. His main weapons were obvious: pace, acceleration, direct running and the ability to take players on.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, the numbers haven't really matched the hype.

He's made 73 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists. In the Premier League, that's 5 goals and 4 assists from 53 appearances.

He's also spent almost 20 months away from competitive football, so there are obvious questions about his fitness, sharpness and how quickly he'll return to his previous level.

The strengths
Pace: Genuinely rapid and capable of stretching a defence.
Acceleration: Can create separation from a standing start.
1v1 ability: Has the ability to beat full-backs and create something himself.
Ball carrying: Comfortable picking the ball up and driving forward.
Runs in behind: Gives a team a genuine threat in transition.
Versatility: Can operate on either wing.
Age: Still only 25, so there's time for a turnaround.
Experience: Has played Champions League football and international football for Ukraine.
The weaknesses
End product: 5 goals and 4 assists in 53 Premier League appearances isn't enough.
Decision-making: Can make the wrong choice in the final third.
Final ball: Getting into good positions hasn't consistently translated into chances or goals.
Consistency: We've seen flashes of quality without enough sustained performances.
Sharpness: Almost two years without competitive football is a major concern.
Premier League record: He still hasn't shown that he can consistently produce at this level.
Unknown: We simply don't know what version of Mudryk we'll get after such a long absence.
The biggest problem for Leeds

Chelsea want a loan, and Leeds are reportedly willing to take him without an obligation or option to buy.

On the face of it, that sounds relatively low risk.

But there's another side to it.

We take virtually all of the footballing risk, while Chelsea keep the long-term benefit.

If Mudryk comes to Leeds, plays 30–40 games, gets back to his best and becomes the player everyone thought Chelsea were buying, what happens?

He goes back to Chelsea.

We've spent a season giving him regular football, potentially helping restore his confidence and market value, and then Chelsea get the benefit.

If he struggles, however, we've still taken the risk.

We've committed wages, a squad place and significant minutes to a player who hasn't played regular competitive football for almost two years.

There is no long-term upside for Leeds beyond whatever he contributes during the loan season.

Chelsea paid an initial £62m for him, potentially rising to around £88m.

We're obviously nowhere near that sort of figure for a loan, but the fee and wage contribution still matter.

Chelsea may want Leeds to take on a significant loan fee and a large percentage of his wages,.

We're taking on the risk of an expensive player returning from a 20-month absence, while Chelsea retain the asset.

There needs to be a reason for us to do that.

A sensible loan fee, a manageable wage contribution and favourable terms would make the deal considerably more attractive.

If Chelsea expect Leeds to shoulder a large part of the financial burden while giving us absolutely no route to keep the player if he succeeds, that's a very different proposition.

Would you take him on a straight loan, knowing that if he finally finds his form, there's a very good chance Chelsea simply take him back?

[Cjay]

Goes on a bit AI even for my standards

[Victor_OTT_17]

Imagine: Okafor left, Wilson central, Mudryk right. What's not to like? Does a loan benefit us in the long term? Well... YES! Not an ideal situation as it means Gnonto/Aaronson/Tanaka/James are only backups and that may cause problems. But it's a nice problem to have...

[weasel]

It's an interesting one with the great unknowns being what level he can reach after all that time out and even then does he just get back to what appears to be an inconsistent level.

I'm not against loans without the options - obviously good to have an option but even then the player can turn you down - like that tw*t Willem Korsten who signed for Spurs instead of us. So the other option is obligation, but, like we saw with JKA, you are then committed even if the player is useless.

The flip side being that the loans of Ben White, Manor Soloman and Joe Roden all worked out well for us and benefitted both Leeds and the players. We also saw that we were then able to come up with a deal to sign Rodon permanently with him agreeing to drop down a division. Similarly if we'd have wanted to sign Soloman I reckon a deal could have been done and even with Ben White if we'd have been prepared to meet Brighton's asking price we could have signed him.

All the loans that didn't work out then it also worked out well as we didn't need to spend big on them, hadn't signed them on 3 or 4 year deals etc.

Player and ability wise I have no idea, can't really recall seeing him play.

So for me I am fine if we sign him with no options to buy. The only concern would be that we don't have to guarantee a certain amount of minutes - he needs to earn those. I'm fine if the deal includes a financial penalty if he doesn't play enough minutes (that seems commonplace) as long as it is not too expensive.

[White Riot]

Mykhailo Mudryk

Leeds have made an approach for Mykhailo Mudryk, with Chelsea rejecting the initial loan offer. Talks are continuing, with Chelsea looking for a loan rather than a permanent sale.

Mudryk is reportedly keen on a move to get regular football after almost 20 months without competitive football.

So, is this one worth pursuing?

Mudryk is 25 and primarily a left winger, although he can play on either side. Chelsea signed him from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for an initial £62m, with the deal potentially rising to around £88m.

At Shakhtar, he was regarded as one of the most exciting young attacking players in Europe. His main weapons were obvious: pace, acceleration, direct running and the ability to take players on.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, the numbers haven't really matched the hype.

He's made 73 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists. In the Premier League, that's 5 goals and 4 assists from 53 appearances.

He's also spent almost 20 months away from competitive football, so there are obvious questions about his fitness, sharpness and how quickly he'll return to his previous level.

The strengths
Pace: Genuinely rapid and capable of stretching a defence.
Acceleration: Can create separation from a standing start.
1v1 ability: Has the ability to beat full-backs and create something himself.
Ball carrying: Comfortable picking the ball up and driving forward.
Runs in behind: Gives a team a genuine threat in transition.
Versatility: Can operate on either wing.
Age: Still only 25, so there's time for a turnaround.
Experience: Has played Champions League football and international football for Ukraine.
The weaknesses
End product: 5 goals and 4 assists in 53 Premier League appearances isn't enough.
Decision-making: Can make the wrong choice in the final third.
Final ball: Getting into good positions hasn't consistently translated into chances or goals.
Consistency: We've seen flashes of quality without enough sustained performances.
Sharpness: Almost two years without competitive football is a major concern.
Premier League record: He still hasn't shown that he can consistently produce at this level.
Unknown: We simply don't know what version of Mudryk we'll get after such a long absence.
The biggest problem for Leeds

Chelsea want a loan, and Leeds are reportedly willing to take him without an obligation or option to buy.

On the face of it, that sounds relatively low risk.

But there's another side to it.

We take virtually all of the footballing risk, while Chelsea keep the long-term benefit.

If Mudryk comes to Leeds, plays 30–40 games, gets back to his best and becomes the player everyone thought Chelsea were buying, what happens?

He goes back to Chelsea.

We've spent a season giving him regular football, potentially helping restore his confidence and market value, and then Chelsea get the benefit.

If he struggles, however, we've still taken the risk.

We've committed wages, a squad place and significant minutes to a player who hasn't played regular competitive football for almost two years.

There is no long-term upside for Leeds beyond whatever he contributes during the loan season.

Chelsea paid an initial £62m for him, potentially rising to around £88m.

We're obviously nowhere near that sort of figure for a loan, but the fee and wage contribution still matter.

Chelsea may want Leeds to take on a significant loan fee and a large percentage of his wages,.

We're taking on the risk of an expensive player returning from a 20-month absence, while Chelsea retain the asset.

There needs to be a reason for us to do that.

A sensible loan fee, a manageable wage contribution and favourable terms would make the deal considerably more attractive.

If Chelsea expect Leeds to shoulder a large part of the financial burden while giving us absolutely no route to keep the player if he succeeds, that's a very different proposition.

Would you take him on a straight loan, knowing that if he finally finds his form, there's a very good chance Chelsea simply take him back?

Only take him if there's an option to buy.

We'll pay a fortune in wages and the loan fee for a guy who hasn't played in two years and wasn't pulling up trees before then.

Should all be on our terms, but I still think it's too risky, and likely that DF will not like his personality anyway.

Doesn't seem like the type of deal we need.

Get a left back, striker and especially a number ten.

We already have Dan James whose quick but not up to this level of football, so why go for another speed merchant?

[Sean_Nile]

If we are looking for pace why not get a Chinese robot.

[weasel]

If we are looking for pace why not get a Chinese robot.

I'd be a bit worried that the robot would trip over the ball or run straight into the crowd causing mass casualties. Given our close proximity to the motorway the ramifications could be horrendous. Really you should think these things through before posting.

[The Subhuman]

Imagine: Okafor left, Wilson central, Mudryk right. What's not to like? Does a loan benefit us in the long term? Well... YES! Not an ideal situation as it means Gnonto/Aaronson/Tanaka/James are only backups and that may cause problems. But it's a nice problem to have...

The fact there's zero midfield bar Ampadu.

[Johnthewhite]

Really don't fancy this deal. An inconsistent player, that hasn't played for the thick end of two years. A London playboy that will upset the dressing room, and that's before you get into how much it will all cost.
No thanks from me.

[Carrick Dave]

Really don't fancy this deal. An inconsistent player, that hasn't played for the thick end of two years. A London playboy that will upset the dressing room, and that's before you get into how much it will all cost.
No thanks from me.

Pretty much what Joe Blackburn thinks too

[Sean_Nile]

I'd be a bit worried that the robot would trip over the ball or run straight into the crowd causing mass casualties. Given our close proximity to the motorway the ramifications could be horrendous. Really you should think these things through before posting.

Yes but did you see that unsuccessful bicycle kick, makes you appreciate Muharemovich more, and the heat would be taken off Aaronson because those robots when they do fall, they do it in a most spectacular fashion.

Wages would not be a problem either, just some lubricant around the joints

[Pullhard]

Will he pass the “no a*****e” test.

Probably not

[Cjay]

[The Subhuman]

Looks a high class player on tape... Seemed to play more centrally and right for Chelsea, think I only saw two occassions where he played on the left.. Bags of skill, very quick, can pick a pass, makes great runs and is a good finisher

The only question is how much has that ban been detrimental?

[Carrick Dave]

Looks a high class player on tape... Seemed to play more centrally and right for Chelsea, think I only saw two occassions where he played on the left.. Bags of skill, very quick, can pick a pass, makes great runs and is a good finisher

The only question is how much has that ban been detrimental?

And does he break the “no dickheads” rule.

[The Subhuman]

And does he break the “no dickheads” rule.

Just the one slightly dodgy video? .. Think he's fine tbh.

Anyway

From an ITK

Nearly done. It's a pure loan.

Negotiation is on % of wages covered and the loan fee, which will be sliding scale where the more he plays, the less we pay and vice versa

[Cjay]

Just the one slightly dodgy video? .. Think he's fine tbh.

Anyway

From an ITK

Very very meh on this and doesn't seem to fix our creativity problems.

Aside from that no long term benefit and a lot of money for at best a very short one and back to needing a replacement in 12 months.

Disappointing

[DDB220]

We were after a left sided attacking midfielder/ winger, hence the continued interest in Pax. If we think we will get him next season this is a stop gap.

Hard to say whether it will be a touch of genius or a faux pas. But Farke does his homework on players - few can argue that he has only had a few that haven’t worked out. And we haven’t made any financial losses to write home about.

If the lad is fit, coupled with a desire to get back to where he was it has a decent chance of working out.

[Orange Box]

The more he plays the less we pay… sneaky. And I’m guessing he can’t play against his owner club.

[The Subhuman]

The more he plays the less we pay… sneaky. And I’m guessing he can’t play against his owner club.

Correct, basic EPL rule