Why Mykhalyo Mudryk joined Chelsea instead of Arsenal

While Arsenal are performing at a remarkable level on the pitch, their January performance off it has been frustrating thus far.

Mykhaylo Mudryk had long been identified as the club’s priority target this month. The Gunners are keen to bolster their attacking ranks to aid their title charge, and Mudryk was regarded as the perfect profile to complement the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

However, the move for the Ukrainian, who seemed desperate to join the north London club, developed into a saga as Shakhtar proved stubborn in negotiations. Arsenal had two bids rejected before Chelsea, whose interest had been documented, moved swiftly to complete a deal that could be worth up to €100m.

It was a big blow for Arsenal, and Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin has revealed why their top target will be plying his trade at Stamford Bridge as opposed to the Emirates.

Why Mykhalyo Mudryk joined Chelsea instead of Arsenal

Speaking exclusively to The Athletic, Palkin confirmed that the two London clubs offered the same amount of money for Mudryk, but he knew when Chelsea arrived in Turkey at the weekend to negotiate the player’s transfer that the 22-year-old was headed for west London.

“Overall, it was the same,” Palkin said regarding Arsenal and Chelsea’s respective bids for Mudryk. “Not approximately the same — it was the same figure. The fixed part, variable part, bonuses. But if you look inside the fixed part and bonuses, it was completely different,” he added.

“Different time (schedule) of the payments, different kinds of bonuses. Yes, we can talk about bonuses, but these bonuses should be somehow achievable and realistic, let’s say. Therefore, in this case, Chelsea was much more serious and fair in some points.”

While Palkin met with Arsenal three times in a bid to wrap up a deal, Chelsea were able to get the job done during a lengthy negotiation process on Saturday with Mudryk’s impending arrival confirmed in the evening.

The winger had seemed so keen on a move to the Emirates, but Palkin insisted that this was because the Gunners were in constant contact with the Ukrainian international as opposed to Shakhtar.

“Can you imagine, for example, to have (the Arsenal coach) Mikel Arteta, (Arsenal’s Ukrainian player) Oleksandr Zinchenko and the sporting director (Edu) calling you, to have Arsenal calling you almost every day, every two days, every three days? You can want or not want the move but you follow this kind of reception and contacts,” he said, adding that Arsenal contacted Mudryk six weeks before they opened talks with the Ukrainian club.

The Mudryk ordeal is a bitter pill for Arsenal to swallow, especially considering that they all but matched Chelsea’s final offer. Palkin’s interview somewhat clarifies why the player seemed so desperate to move to north London and why the club eventually missed out. Now, it’s time for Edu to move on and seek out an alternative before the transfer window slams shut.