Mudryk returns to soccer after nearly a year: Tottenham take him on loan from Chelsea, and De Zerbi knows him from Shakhtar

Nearly a year without playing, a doping case that threatened to derail everything, and now, suddenly, a fresh start on the other side of London. That sums up the situation for Mykhailo Mudryk, who has left Chelsea to join Tottenham on a season-long loan.

The 25 year old Ukrainian winger joined Chelsea in 2023 in a move that caused a stir at the time: 100 million euros (roughly 115 million dollars at the exchange rate then) for an eight and a half year contract, one of the most expensive transfers in world soccer. That investment, however, had been frozen since November 2024, when a doping test taken while he was on international duty with Ukraine came back positive for meldonium, a banned substance.

The English Football Association handed him a four year ban in January, and Mudryk appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April. During that process, the World Anti-Doping Agency updated its procedures: if the same result came back today, it would no longer trigger doping charges. That regulatory shift ended up working in the player's favor, clearing him to return to competition immediately.

With that path cleared, Tottenham didn't hesitate to bring him in despite the risk of signing a player who has been out of action for so long. There's an added layer of trust here too: his new manager, Roberto De Zerbi, already coached him at Shakhtar Donetsk during the 2021-22 season, back when Mudryk was starting to stand out in Ukraine before making the jump to the Premier League.

I know exactly what he can bring to our team. He has the quality to change a game with his speed and his ability in one on one duels, and he's an exciting attacking talent.Roberto De Zerbi

The Italian coach was also clear about the demands awaiting the Ukrainian at his new club:

I'm going to demand a lot from Misha, and our job is to help him find the best version of himself. If we manage that, he can become a very important player for us.Roberto De Zerbi

Mudryk's arrival adds to what has been an especially busy transfer window for Tottenham, who have already spent more than 400 million dollars on reinforcements this summer. Among them is Savio, signed from Manchester City just two weeks earlier, which makes clear that competition for a spot on the wing won't be easy for the Ukrainian.

Still, for Mudryk the challenge goes beyond earning a starting spot. After months clouded by sporting and legal uncertainty, what's at stake now is recovering match fitness and, hopefully, some of the form that made him one of the most talked about signings in Europe back in 2023.