Ukrainian footballer Mykhailo Mudryk has agreed to leave Chelsea on a temporary loan move to restore his playing form after nearly 2.5 years out of competitive football, according to the BBC.
Chelsea is exploring potential loan options before the summer transfer window closes on September 1. A transfer to French club Strasbourg was proposed, as both teams are owned by the BlueCo consortium, but the Ukrainian left winger prefers to move to another English Premier League club. Several leading teams from Italy have also emerged as potential destinations.
Doping case settlement and return
Mudryk had not played competitive football since November 2024 due to a doping case. UNIAN reported that the English Football Association and the player reached a settlement agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency on July 30, 2026. Mudryk admitted to an anti-doping rule violation, and his suspension was determined as already served. The violation followed an out-of-competition doping test on October 22, 2024, which detected a low concentration of meldonium.
After settling the case, Mudryk returned to the pitch as a substitute in several friendly matches during Chelsea's pre-season tour of Asia. He made his first appearance in early August, coming off the bench in the 82nd minute against Italian side Juventus in Turin. Mudryk, who transferred to Chelsea from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023, has a contract with the London team through 2031.
