Mykhailo Mudryk's 'likely destination' revealed as Chelsea set exit plan

Mykhailo Mudryk is likely to be loaned out by Chelsea this summer after his drugs ban was lifted last week.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes the Blues will then look to sell him either in January or next summer.

Mudryk hasn't played a competitive game since November 2024, but has been a hot topic since his four-year suspension was lifted by the FA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Wyness believes that the winger's days at Chelsea are "very numbered" and feels that it is inevitable that he departs the club this summer.

Chelsea have been inundated with interest in Mudryk since his ban was lifted, with Coventry City reportedly among three Premier League clubs to have enquired about his services.

There is also a wealth of interest in the 25-year-old from across Europe, while he is currently away with the Blues squad in Hong Kong.

European move likely outcome for Mykhailo Mudryk

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that a move elsewhere in Europe is the most likely outcome for Mudryk at the moment.

The Ukrainian has several options to remain in the Premier League, but Wyness believes that he would be better suited moving away from English football altogether.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, he explained why Xabi Alonso will be keen to wash his hands of the wideman and move him on.

"He's not Alonso's hire, so let's start from that point of view. So he won't be considered as one of Alonso's players as such," Wyness said.

"Since he's been on his ban, the WADA regulations have changed, and he actually would not have been proven positive in this case now under the new regulations. So that's an interesting point to bear in mind. 

"If I were there, I'd put him on loan, try and rehabilitate some value back into him and then sell him. I think his days at Chelsea are very numbered unless he can really catch Alonso's eye.

"But I think it's gonna be difficult for him to do that. And he wasn't exactly setting the place on fire when he was playing before. 

"So I would expect him to go on loan and then gradually be sold as soon as there's any spark. I'd expect him to be back in Europe or somewhere else rather than in the English game."

Chelsea abandon transfer 'policy' that saw them land Mudryk

Wyness told Football Insider last weekend that Chelsea are now slowly abandoning their transfer "policy" of exclusivesly targeting young and upcoming talents.

The Blues' previous spending policy saw them bring Mudryk to the club as a 22-year-old back in 2023, when they shelled out an eye-watering £89million to sign him from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The West London outfit are now adding experience to their squad, and have recently finalised surprise moves for both Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.

Alonso is trying to revamp the squad at Stamford Bridge, and the expectation is that there will be no way back for Mudryk as part of that effort.