How Chelsea reportedly got Mudryk join them over Arsenal

A report via The Athletic has revealed that Chelsea high rank warned Mykhailo Mudryk that he could struggle to get game time if he signed for Arsenal.

Recall that Arsenal were the favourite to land Mudryk this January, but after weeks of negotiations, the North London side were unable to agree on a fee with Shakhtar Donetsk.

This allowed Chelsea to hijack the transfer last weekend and reach an agreement.

The Blues co-owner Behdad Eghbali and director of global transfers Paul Winstanley travelled to Turkey for face-to-face negotiations with Shakhtar on Saturday, before returning to London with Mudryk once an £88.6 million deal was done.

Arsenal were said to be Mudryk’s favourite destination but during their lengthy talks on Saturday, the Blues convinced the 22-year-old why he should make the move to Stamford Bridge instead.

Chelsea told Mudryk that he would be a key player on Graham Potter’s side and that they would give him a “platform” to thrive.

The report also claimed that Chelsea hierarchy argued that Mudryk would face more difficulty at Arsenal where he would be fighting for a spot alongside Gabriel Martinelli.