Chelsea confident in signing Mykhaylo Mudryk despite Arsenal preference

Chelsea still want to raid Arsenal’s pursuit of Mykhaylo Mudryk.

We reported on Wednesday that Chelsea wanted to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk, the 21-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk winger who is a transfer priority for Arsenal. Having already agreed personal terms at the Emirates Stadium, Mudryk told Shakhtar today that he would prefer a move to Arsenal over Chelsea

You would think this would put Chelsea off signing him. After all, why would you still want to sign a player who doesn’t even want to join the club, and would rather sign for your rivals? Well, it would appear that desperate times call for desperate measures.

According to a report from The Guardian, Chelsea are still confident they can secure a deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk. The report claims that talks between them and Shakhtar were positive, so they are eager to progress with the move.

There’s no denying Mudryk would benefit Graham Potter. This is the first time the Chelsea boss has had a transfer window, having inherited a pile of muck. The club were big spenders in the transfer windows leading up to Potter’s arrival, but the big-money transfers did not produce big-money performances.

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Mudryk, on the other hand, would be well worth the money. Having honed his craft in Ukraine for the past number of seasons, he is proving to be a tricky winger. Having electrifying pace in his locker and the ability to take on opposing defenders either out wide or cutting inside, he would provide inspiration to a lacklustre Chelsea attack.

Mudryk’s preference for Arsenal could complicate matters but it’s something the Chelsea board must deal with. They only have themselves to blame. After all, if you were a young player tipped to be a European world-beater, would you rather sign for a Premier League 10th in the league, or top of the table and title-winning favourites?

Where do you think Mykhaylo Mudryk will play this year?