Mykhailo Mudryk's Chelsea Future: What Should Xabi Alonso Do - Keep Or Loan? | OneFootball

Chelsea's focus is on now departures, which could see Mudryk leave on loan this summer. Video Credit: Absolute Chelsea

When new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso took the Chelsea job back in May, little consideration would have been given to having Mykhailo Mudryk at his immediate disposal.

With Chelsea having multiple options in his position on the left wing, Alonso has been left with an interesting transfer dilemma.

Mudryk, who was banned back in December 2024 due to ‘an adverse finding in a routine urine test’, which later revealed ‘the presence of a low concentration of meldonium’, a banned substance, was fully cleared to return to action on July 31 with immediate effect.

At one stage, it looked like Mudryk was set for a long period on the sidelines. Back in January, the FA’s independent Regulatory Commission charged the Ukrainian international with a four-year ban. Mudryk later appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). But since then, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) changed its ‘technical document’, resulting in any sample containing the same level found in Mudryk’s case being deemed non-punishable.

With the ban lifted, the 25-year-old immediately jumped on a flight to Hong Kong and joined his teammates and new manager. No time was wasted, as the club’s in-house media quickly released footage of him greeting his teammates and getting straight to work.

Despite playing just 22 minutes across three pre-season matches, the winger is already attracting interest from a host of clubs. According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are ‘open to considering loan proposals’, with the player having a preference to stay within the Premier League.

Mudryk will be hoping to get a run of games in 2026-27, whether that is on loan or at Chelsea. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Various reports suggest that newly promoted Coventry City, managed by former Chelsea player and head coach Frank Lampard, are a possible destination in the Premier League. Italian clubs are also reportedly interested, as are Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg.

Unity was on display during Chelsea’s pre-season defeat to Italian side Juventus. Nicolas Jackson agreed with Alonso prior to kick-off to sacrifice himself towards the end of the second half so Mudryk could get the moment he had been waiting for for more than 550 days.

Alonso agreed with the gesture, saying: “It was more than a football decision. It was a human decision and an emotional decision to give him this boost, to feel the great support that he got and the great reception when he came on the pitch.”

Since his return against Juventus, the winger has only managed 11 minutes against AC Milan and then a further three against Johor Darul Ta’zim. In that short period, during the latter, he contributed to the equaliser with a peach of a cross, unofficially gaining the assist, as the final action was recorded as an own goal.

With little time being handed to him on the pitch and Morgan Rogers only just returning, it does feel like the writing is on the wall for Mudryk this season. The likes of Jamie Gittens and Geovany Quenda will naturally be above him in the pecking order. However, from a compassionate and player-welfare perspective, the club have a short-term decision to make that serves both the player’s and the club’s best interests.

Mudryk wasted no time getting back onto the pitch.

One option could be to keep Mudryk around the squad until at least the January transfer window, allowing the club to keep a close eye on his development and overall response to being away from the pitch for a prolonged period. Without European football, those chances could well be limited, and continuing to stall any future development may cause even more harm.

Earmarking the 25-year-old for a loan is perhaps the best footballing decision that can be made. But given the sensitivity of the situation, it is one that will require careful consideration and approval from both sides.