MY ACCOUNT
Chelsea have confirmed the capture of long-term Arsenal target Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in a sensational deal thought to be worth over £88million.
The 22-year-old has put pen to paper on an eight-and-a-half year deal at Stamford Bridge and expressed his delight at finally securing a Premier League switch.
Mudryk told Chelsea’s website: “I’m so happy to sign for Chelsea. 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.”
The Gunners had been pursuing the Ukrainian starlet for many months, with an agreement thought to have been reached between the camps on everything but the final transfer fee.
And with negotiations reaching an impasse, the Blues seized their opportunity yesterday, sending co-owner Behdad Eghbali and director of global transfers Paul Winstanley to Turkey where Shakhtar are currently training.
Chelsea’s willingness to pay the full asking price helped talks progress quickly and saw Mudryk travel back to West London on the club’s private jet to complete a medical last night.
It is a deal that will sting for Mikel Artetas, with significant time and effort having gone into ltrying to lure Mudryk to the Emirates.
The player had even been teasing a move to North London on his social media channels, liking posts from Arsenal fan accounts using the hashtag #FreeMudryk and posting videos of himself watching Arsenal matches.
Mudryk had also described Arteta as a “top coach” but will now hope to help under-fire Graham Potter turn a disastrous season around at Stamford Bridge.
