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The Ukrainian footballer was on his way to join Arsenal but Chelsea came in to hijack the deal at the late hour.
Shakhtar’s Chief Executive Sergei Palkin has explained why Mykhailo Mudryk joined Chelsea instead of Arsenal. Mudryk was a man in demand in January after taking the Champions League group stage by storm.
The 22-year-old attracted interest from several clubs in Europe, but Arsenal were in the pole position to sign him. The Gunners have been courting Mudryk’s progress all season and looked certain to get their man.
Arsenal and Mudryk's romance
Arsenal were even handed a boost by the player, as he was keen to sign for the North London side. During this period, Mudryk flirted with Arsenal on social media, posting pictures of himself watching their matches while also praising the club’s manager, Mikel Arteta.
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The Gunners did enter negotiations with Shakhtar over the transfer of Mudryk but could not get a deal over the line. Nonetheless, Arsenal were still confident that they would sign the player.
However, just as it appeared that Mudryk was heading to Arsenal, Chelsea entered the picture, entering negotiations with Shakhtar.
Chelsea’s negotiations with Shakhtar proved successful as they hijacked the deal at the last hour by paying £88m to sign Mudryk on an eight-and-a-half-year deal.
Chelsea showed more ambition- Palkin
The deal left Arsenal fans shocked and disappointed, but Palkin insists Chelsea made a better offer to Shaktar, even though Arsenal offered a similar deal.
"Overall, it (the deal) was the same. 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, Palkin told The Athletic.
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“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. When we met Chelsea, we stayed all together. For you to understand the context, it was for nine or 10 hours. They invited the player and explained to us the whole project.
"We realised that, yes, if you look right now, Chelsea have some kinds of problems but it is normal because they have a transition period from one owner to another. It is understandable," he said.
Palkin also added that it was not just about the money, it was also about the project which was suitable for Mudryk. The Chief Executive suggested that Chelsea’s project was more ambitious for Mudryk.
“They would like to change a lot. So when they explain to you the whole story and you look for the next two, three, four, five years, then you see they have a serious project.
I believe they will build one of the best clubs in the world because I am telling you, they are very serious in all directions: sports science, the stadium side, the commercial side, on all things. For us, they looked very ambitious,” Palkin continued.
The Chief Executive also revealed that the add-ons included in Chelsea’s deal are dependent on their performances in the Premier League and Champions League. However, it does not have a Ballon d’Or clause.
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“Chelsea’s offer has no Ballon d’Or (clause). It is achievable bonuses that we feel, and they feel, can be reached. Maybe not this year but in the next two, three or four years.
“There’s no deadline then? If they win the Premier League or Champions League in 2029, the bonuses still apply?
“It’s eight years, or seven and a half. The length of contract is eight years — seven plus one,” he added.
Mudryk was unveiled at Stamford Bridge ahead of Chelsea’s win over Crystal Palace. The 22-year-old could make his bow when the Blues take on Liverpool on Saturday.
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