Mykhaylo Mudryk reveals reason for choosing Chelsea as Blues confirm signing of Arsenal target
Chelsea have completed the signing of Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk, the Premier League club have announced.
The Ukraine international has signed an eight-and-a-half-year deal, with the Blues paying Shakhtar a reported £62million – possibly rising to £88m.
The 22-year-old was in attendance for Chelsea’s game against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
“I’m so happy to sign for Chelsea,” Mudryk told the club’s website.
“This is a huge club, in a fantastic league and it is a very attractive project for me at this stage of my career. I’m excited to meet my new team-mates and I’m looking forward to working and learning under Graham Potter and his staff.”
Mudryk had looked poised to sign for London rivals Arsenal before a last-minute intervention from recruitment head Paul Winstanley and co-owner Behdad Eghbali on Saturday, with the pair flying to Turkey to negotiate the deal.
Former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor thinks Arsenal were “bullied” by Chelsea after losing out on the signing.
“With this transfer, Chelsea have bullied Arsenal, they have financially bullied them,” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT.
“They went over and spoke to his agent and probably told him, ‘We’ll give you [the agent] more, we’ll give the player more in wages and we’ll give the club more money up front’.
“Arsenal were maybe going to give him £100,000 or £150,000-a-week, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Chelsea offered him £250,000 or £300,000-a-week!
“Chelsea can just turn up with an open wallet and say, ‘What do you want?’
“I think it’s a good signing, but it’s going to hurt Arsenal and it’s going to hurt Arsenal fans.”
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