Chelsea Reject Leeds' First Bid for Mudryk

Chelsea have turned down an opening offer from Leeds United for Mykhailo Mudryk, with the proposal described as falling well short of the London club’s expectations, according to BBC Sport. The door, though, is very much still open. Negotiations continue.

Mudryk wants the move. After spending 20 months out of the game because of a positive test for the banned substance meldonium, the winger is desperate for regular football and sees Elland Road as his best route back to a consistent starting role.

Leeds have surged to the front of the queue for one key reason: they are prepared to take Mudryk on a straight loan with no option to buy. That detail matters to Chelsea. The Blues paid an initial £62 million for the Ukrainian in 2023 and remain intent on keeping long-term control over his future, even as they look for a short-term solution that gets him on the pitch.

If the deal gets over the line, Mudryk would become Daniel Farke’s fifth signing of the summer. Leeds begin their Premier League campaign at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, and Farke has already added Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic, James Trafford and Nico Elvedi as he reshapes his squad for the new season. A livewire winger with something to prove would add another dimension to that rebuild.

While Leeds push hard, Chelsea are busy clearing the decks for Xabi Alonso. The new head coach is working with a bloated squad and the club hierarchy are moving out several players on the fringes. Axel Disasi has joined Crystal Palace, Benoit Badiashile is heading to Napoli, and Atletico Madrid are finalising a £65m deal for Nicolas Jackson. Others, including Liam Delap and Dario Essugo, are waiting to discover whether they still have a place in Alonso’s plans.

Leeds are not alone in their interest. Chelsea have already rebuffed a loan approach from Brentford because the Bees wanted an option to buy written into the agreement, something the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are not willing to entertain at this stage. Coventry City are also monitoring Mudryk’s situation as they prepare to face Arsenal in Friday night’s season opener.

Talk of a move to Strasbourg or a switch to Serie A has cooled. At 25, Mudryk is understood to favour staying in England, a stance that only strengthens Leeds’ position as they haggle over the terms of a revised bid.

Alonso, asked about Mudryk’s future, kept his cards close to his chest: “We will see, we still have time to decide and we don't have to rush on many decisions and at the right time, we will take them. At the moment, not yet.”

For now, Mudryk remains in training with the Chelsea squad, waiting. His representatives continue to work in the background, while Leeds push to add one more attacking weapon before the deadline bites.

The clock is ticking. If Chelsea soften their stance and Leeds edge closer to the number required, Elland Road could soon be the stage for a high-priced talent trying to restart a stalled career.