Chelsea make Mykhailo Mudryk transfer decision ahead of January window

Chelsea have made a decision over the future of winger Mykhailo Mudryk ahead of the January transfer window, according to reports.

Mudryk, 23, has struggled for Premier League minutes this term, which has led to speculation the Blues may be open to offers for the Ukrainian.

Football Insider claimed Chelsea were happy to let Mudryk leave in January as Enzo Maresca has not been impressed by his performances.

But those claims have now been rubbished, with fresh reports indicating there is ‘no chance’ Mudryk will leave Chelsea when the window opens up.

It is believed that Chelsea are continuing to back Mudryk and are not exploring any kind of exit, with a loan and permanent sale both ruled out.

Mudryk has featured in seven Premier League matches for Chelsea this season but has only played 146 minutes of action, mostly coming on as a late substitute, while he has been an unused sub in five top-flight games.

He has enjoyed more game time in the UEFA Conference League, where Chelsea have been resting key stars in the first half of the campaign.

Mudryk has conjured up three goals and three assists across four Conference League fixtures this season, although the quality of the Blues’ opponents has been much lower than the teams they face in England.

Chelsea splashed out £88.5m to sign Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 and he is under contract in west London until 2031.

He has played a total of 73 games for Chelsea to date across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists.

Speaking in October, Shakhtar Donetsk chief general director Sergiy Palkin said that Chelsea don’t know how to handle ‘Ferrari’ player Mudryk.

‘You don’t need a Ferrari if you don’t know how to drive it,’ the Shakhtar chief told GOAL. ‘A normal car will do. If you buy a Ferrari, you should think about how to handle it. That’s my opinion on Mudryk at Chelsea.

‘I am sure that he will show his qualities when he gets the chance. He is an absolute difference maker. [That can] be seen in his appearances for the Ukrainian national team. There are very few players in this category.’