Mudryk wanted Arsenal over Chelsea before £89m move, Shakhtar Chief reveals

Shakhtar Donetsk sporting director Darijo Srna has revealed that Mykhailo Mudryk preferred Arsenal over Chelsea in 2023, but Chelsea’s superior offer ultimately secured his transfer.

Mykhailo Mudryk wanted to join Arsenal rather than Chelsea during the dramatic January 2023 transfer battle, according to Shakhtar Donetsk sporting director Darijo Srna.

The Ukrainian winger was one of Arsenal’s biggest targets at the time, with Mikel Arteta’s side holding extensive talks with Shakhtar before Chelsea intervened and completed the deal for a fee that could rise to £88.5 million.

Srna has now provided a fresh insight into Mudryk’s preference before the transfer, claiming the player had a conversation with Arteta and appeared more impressed by the Arsenal manager than Chelsea’s coach.

“Misha talked to Arteta. I talked to the Chelsea coach. And, probably, at that moment he liked Arteta more,” Srna said, as reported by The Standard.

However, the player’s preference was not enough to determine his destination because, according to Srna, Shakhtar had the final say on the transfer and ultimately reached an agreement with Chelsea after the Blues presented a more attractive financial package.

“But it is the club that decides whether to sell a player or not,” he explained. “We told him that the club has found a common language with Chelsea.”

Srna added that Chelsea “generally made a much better offer to Shakhtar than Arsenal,” insisting the Ukrainian club could not accept a lower proposal simply because the player preferred another destination.

The revelation adds another layer to one of the most talked-about transfers of the 2023 January window. Arsenal had pursued Mudryk for weeks and the winger had openly shown his interest in joining the Gunners, including posting content that suggested he was following the club closely.

Arsenal had also made bids for the player, but Shakhtar were demanding a package close to their valuation of the highly-rated winger.

Chelsea eventually moved decisively, agreeing a deal worth €70 million (£62m) up front plus up to €30m (£26.5m) in add-ons. Mudryk subsequently signed a long-term contract and publicly welcomed the opportunity to work under Graham Potter.

Srna’s comments now suggest that, before the clubs settled the transfer, Mudryk’s personal preference and Shakhtar’s financial demands were pulling in different directions, with Chelsea ultimately winning the battle because of the offer they put on the table.

Mudryk has struggled since the move, failing to replicate his impressive Shakhtar performances and banned for almost two years for failing a doping test, and is now on loan at Tottenham Hotspur.