Tottenham take a gamble on Mudryk as decision‑making doubts linger

Tottenham have secured Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk on a season‑long loan from Chelsea, despite recent anti‑doping allegations, and journalist Alasdair Gold says his decision‑making remains a concern for manager Roberto De Zerbi. The loan includes no obligation to buy, giving Spurs a low‑risk option as they rebuild under De Zerbi.

After the anti‑doping charge was dropped at the end of July, Mudryk returned to train with Chelsea during their pre‑season. Xabi Alonso’s side chose to let him depart in the summer window, paving the way for the Tottenham move.

Familiar manager, fresh start

Roberto De Zerbi previously coached Mudryk at Shakhtar Donetsk, and the pair are set to reunite at Tottenham. Their prior relationship could help the Ukrainian international settle quickly in London.

Decision‑making flagged

Alasdair Gold told reporters, “Speaking to people in and around Chelsea, his decision‑making was poor on a lot of occasions. That’s what De Zerbi will need to fix and get him back to what he was when he had him at Shakhtar.” The comment highlights the issues that could affect Mudryk’s impact.

The deal is described as low‑risk, high‑reward: Mudryk will spend the 2026‑27 season at Tottenham but the club face no obligation to make the move permanent. If the partnership fails, he can simply return to Chelsea.

Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk via REUTERS/Tyrone Siu By Matt Smith AM GMT+1 Matt Smith is a football writer covering the Premier League and exclusive news for GIVEMESPORT. Matt joined the company in March 2023 and is an avid Everton supporter who regularly attends games in his spare time. He has previously worked for CaughtOffside and also works for Squakwa, FotMob and WhoScored. Here, Give Me Sport Us report the full story.