Revealed: Here's how Mykhailo Mudryk's move to Chelsea will help Ukraine's fight against Russia
Winger Mykhailo Mudryk's 88 million-pound move Chelsea move includes 20.5 million pounds going to Ukraine's soldiers to fight against Russia, months after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich sold the Blues.
FollowUkraine's Mykhailo Mudryk's transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea over the weekend was one of football's most discussed topics in the transfer window after the Blues 'hijacked' a potential deal with Arsenal at the last moment. The 22-year-old winger was formally unveiled during the west London club's win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, sparking massive excitement among fans.
A day after his official transfer announcement, stunning details behind Mudryk's 88 million-pound to English top flight from the Ukrainian club have been revealed. Shakhtar Donetsk's President Rinat Akhmetov has provided details of the transfer and also revealed that Graham Potter's men will play the Ukrainian club in a friendly clash as part of the deal.
In an official statement on the club's website, Akhmetov wrote, "FC Shakhtar has signed a final agreement with Chelsea FC and thus Ukrainian footballer Mykhaylo Mudryk will continue his career with the Blues in the strongest national championship, the English Premier League."
"First and foremost, I want to thank the entire civilised world for helping Ukraine. Today we are able to talk about Ukrainian football thanks to the Ukrainian army, the Ukrainian people, and the tremendous support of the entire civilised world. Only by joining efforts we will defeat the evil that has come to our homes," Shakhtar Donetsk's president added.
"I have never made it a secret that my dream is to win European trophies. This means that players like Mudryk should be invited to our club, to our Ukrainian championship, and we should win European trophies with such players, rather than root for them, even when they play in the world's top clubs," he stated.
"Unfortunately, it is impossible now, as Ukraine is fighting the horrendous and unjust war waged against us by the Russian Federation. But I am confident that we will win. And we will play a friendly against Chelsea at Donbass Arena in a Ukrainian Donetsk," Akhmetov added.
Shakhtar have not played at the stadium since 2014 due to the Donbass conflict. Since the club was made to leave, the stadium has remained empty and closed to the public. "That is why I have made a decision to launch the Heart of Azovstal, a project designed to help Mariupol defenders and the families of fallen soldiers. Their acts of bravery are unparalleled in the modern history," Akhmetov continued.
"I am allocating 20.5 million pounds today to help our soldiers, defenders, and their families. The money will be used to cover different needs — from providing medical and prosthetic treatment and psychological support to meeting specific requests. To ensure transparency, the project will have a professional independent team that will be in touch with the Azovstal defenders, their families, care providers, and volunteers," Shakhtar Donetsk's president signed off.
Less than a year after billionaire Roman Abramovich's tenure as club president ended due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Mudryk was unveiled at Stamford Bridge while waving a Ukrainian flag.
Following the UK government's penalties, Abramovich declared his decision to sell the club he had controlled since 2003 the following month. This prompted Todd Boehly and Clearelake Capital to buy the team, and there have subsequently been other high-profile acquisitions.
Mudryk, born on January 5, 2001, in Krashnohrad, Ukraine, joined Shakhtar Donetsk's junior programme in 2016 and made his first senior appearance for the team two years later. In 2019 and 2020, respectively, the 5' 9" winger spent brief loan periods at Arsenal Kyiv and Desna Chernihiv. Mudryk joins David Datro Fofana, Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile, and Andrey Santos as the fifth player to sign with Chelsea in January.
