MYKHAILO MUDRYK

Mudryk began his career in the academies of Metalist Kharkiv and Dnipro, before moving to Shakhtar Donetsk in 2016. He made his professional debut two years later, followed by loans to Arsenal Kyiv and Desna Chernihiv. In 2023, he moved to English club Chelsea in a transfer worth an initial €70 million (£62 million), making him the most expensive Ukrainian footballer of all time and the most expensive player ever signed from the Ukrainian Premier League.

Mudryk has been a Ukrainian senior international since 2022, having previously played at several youth levels.

On 15 January 2023, Mudryk signed for Premier League club Chelsea on an eight-and-a-half-year contract for an initial transfer fee of €70 million (£62 million), potentially rising to €100 million (£89 million) in add-ons. This was the largest transfer fee received by Shakhtar and the Ukrainian Premier League, topping the previous record held by Fred, and made him the most expensive Ukrainian footballer of all time. Mudryk's debut came on 21 January, as Chelsea drew 0–0 away to Liverpool in a league match. His first start came against Fulham in a 0–0 draw on 4 February. He was substituted at half-time due to fatigue caused by a cold. On 11 March, he provided his first Premier League assist in Chelsea's 3–1 away victory against Leicester City.

Mudryk is a right-footed winger who is most comfortable cutting in from the left onto his stronger foot. His acceleration is a particular strength, as he is able to reach his top speed extremely quickly from a standing start. This allows him to stand his opponent up before knocking the ball either way and darting away from them. He often does this down the touchline and onto his weaker foot – the direction in which his opponent won't expect him to go – before putting a cross into the box. His acceleration allows him to draw fouls from opponents who cannot get goalside of him or gets away from them and into space. This tactic helps Mudryk move inside wide from the left, before combining with teammates in the centre of the pitch or working a shooting opportunity for himself, especially on the counter as he provides the perfect profile to successfully turn defence into attack.

His dribbling is also a strong part of his game. The way he centres himself over the ball – using little outside-of-the-boot touches – keeps defenders retreating at a pace that he can dictate. He has the intelligence to drive in a direction that wins space for himself or team-mates, the willingness to go inside or outside, and has more than enough pace to confidently drive through gaps. Mudryk often hugs the touchline and looks to drive at the opposition before cutting in or finding a midfielder or overlapping the fullback to release the ball. Mudryk usually keeps his distance from the fullback, meaning he can use his pace instead of strength to get past him and it works effectively and he often zooms away, leading an attack.