Tottenham Hotspur have signed Ukraine international forward Mykhailo Mudryk on a season-long loan from Chelsea, reuniting the 25-year-old with head coach Roberto De Zerbi.
Mudryk previously worked with De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk and said he was eager to begin his time in north London.
“It’s a great feeling. I can’t wait to start training and playing for the Club, and I’m so excited to be reunited with Roberto De Zerbi.
“I’m a player who brings speed and creativity, and I want to help in both the offensive and defensive areas. I want to make the fans excited.
“I can see it’s a strong squad here with good players, and I’m looking forward to sharing a pitch and special moments with them.”
Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange said the club believed Mudryk had the qualities to make a significant contribution while continuing to develop.
“We are delighted to welcome Mykhailo to the Club.
“We believe he has the attributes to make a real contribution to our team and we are excited to see his development in our environment.
“Mykhailo’s ambition and determination to take on this challenge has impressed me. He has a strong desire to succeed and improve, and that fits well with the culture we are building.
“We will fully support Mykhailo as he settles in, works with Roberto and our coaching staff and his new teammates, and we look forward to this next chapter of his career.”
De Zerbi said Mudryk’s pace and ability in one-on-one situations could give Tottenham an attacking threat capable of changing matches.
“Having worked with Misha earlier in his career, I know exactly what he can bring to our team.
“He has the quality to change a game with his speed and ability in one-vs-one situations, and is an exciting, attacking talent.
“I will demand a lot from Misha and it is our job to help him find the best version of himself. If we do that then he can become a very important player for us. I am very happy he chose to come here, and I cannot wait to work with him again.”
Mudryk’s career so far
Mudryk was born in Krasnohrad, Ukraine, and began his early career with Metalist Kharkiv before moving to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in 2014.
He joined Shakhtar Donetsk two years later and progressed through the club’s youth system before making his senior debut at 17 in a Ukrainian Cup match. Shakhtar went on to win the competition that season.
After two domestic loan spells between 2019 and 2021, Mudryk returned to Shakhtar for the following campaign. De Zerbi had taken charge of the club in May 2021, and the forward became an important member of his squad.
Mudryk played in all of Shakhtar Donetsk’s UEFA Champions League matches that season and was named the club’s Player of the Year in 2021. He received the award again the following year.
He was also named Ukraine’s Footballer of the Year for 2022. In 44 appearances for Shakhtar, he recorded 29 goal involvements, helped the club win the 2021/22 Ukrainian Super Cup and later contributed to their 2022/23 Ukrainian league title success.
Premier League and international record
Mudryk joined Chelsea in January 2023, moving to the Premier League with the ability to operate on either wing. He made his debut against Liverpool at Anfield soon afterwards, where his pace attracted attention.
His first Chelsea goal came later that year, and he won the club’s Goal of the Month award for October 2023 after scoring a notable strike against Arsenal.
Mudryk made 73 appearances for Chelsea and registered 21 goal involvements during his time at the club.
At international level, he represented Ukraine at several age groups before making his senior debut in the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup play-offs against Scotland in June that year. Ukraine won the match 3-1.
He has since won 28 caps and scored three goals for his country. Mudryk also scored the decisive goal that secured Ukraine’s qualification for Euro 2024.
