Chelsea are preparing to send Mykhailo Mudryk out on loan and have already decided the perfect destination for the winger following his lengthy absence.
Mudryk, who Chelsea signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth up to £89m, has joined pre-season training after resolving his doping case with the FA.
The Ukraine international has not played a match since late 2024 after being provisionally suspended for returning an ‘adverse finding’ for the banned substance meldonium.
The FA ended its anti-doping proceedings after Mudryk accepted breaching anti-doping rules and agreed to a suspension equal to the one year and eight months already served.
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Chelsea believe a loan move makes sense to give Mudryk the chance to get regular minutes and demonstrate his level after such a long lay-off.
Mudryk underwhelmed before his FA suspension, scoring just five goals across two-and-a-half Premier League seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea saw off fierce competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal to sign Mudryk but are still waiting to see the best of the 25-year-old.
Three Premier League teams have expressed interest in signing Mudryk on loan but Foot Mercato say Chelsea are keen for the player to join sister club Strasbourg.
Discussing Mudryk’s imminent return to action, new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso said: ‘It’s too early to tell how he is in terms of fitness, in terms of the game time you need to be involved again, so it’s still too early to tell.
‘But we are happy for him, especially for him, because we are probably not able to understand what he has been through during this time and how he feels at the moment with the things he has had to cope with.
‘We expect that it will take time. He trained on his own every day, and I think it had to be really, really hard because he wanted to play football, he wanted to be part of a team, and he was not allowed to do that for such a long time.
‘Afterwards we will see if it’s quicker or slower, but we need to be aware of that. We want him to feel part of the team. Once he is with us, we will see how things develop.’
Mudryk, meanwhile, said he was ‘grateful’ to be able to return to playing after ‘the most difficult period” of his career.
Chelsea agree deal to sell Chalobah
Chelsea have once again been one of the busiest clubs in this summer’s transfer market, bolstering Alonso’s squad with ten new signings.
But the Blues have also raised funds by selling the likes of Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos and Tyrique George.
It became apparent earlier in the summer that Chelsea were open to offers for England centre-back Trevoh Chalobah.
The 27-year-old is now set to join Chelsea legend Cesc Fabregas at Como after the Italian club agreed a deal worth more than £30m.
Chelsea will receive an initial £27.5m from Como, who qualified for the Champions League last season, with a further £5.1m available in add-ons.
Chalobah will leave Stamford Bridge having made 151 appearances for Chelsea, including 47 last term.
Alonso sanctioned Chalobah’s exit after signing Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace for £52m.
After swapping Selhurst Park for Stamford Bridge, Lacroix said: ‘I think when I saw the players like Reece [James], like Morgan [Rogers], I’m just really happy to be also in a way in their story, you know? To write part of the Chelsea story with them.
‘I’m really proud, really happy, to be part of this beautiful project and I just want to start playing.
‘I’m really excited to see the guys, to see the manager, to start the season, because I feel like we have a story to write here, and I can be part of it, so it’s beautiful.’
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