Tottenham's Late-Window Move for Mudryk: A High-Stakes Gamble
Tottenham Hotspur are on the brink of one of the most eye-catching moves of the window, closing in on a loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk with a £75m option to buy.
The 25-year-old has not played a competitive minute for well over a year after a positive doping test led to his suspension. He last appeared for Chelsea in December 2024, then vanished from the matchday picture while the case rumbled on. Now he has been cleared to play, the charges dropped – but not forgiven at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca has made his stance clear. In a crowded Chelsea attack, there is no space for Mudryk. Tottenham have seen an opening and gone straight through it.
A medical took place on Tuesday morning, with the formalities expected to be wrapped up before the transfer deadline. Speaking on GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast, Fabrizio Romano said Mudryk is set to sign his Spurs contract on Tuesday afternoon, describing it as a loan with an option to buy at around £75m, including a loan fee and with Tottenham covering his wages.
A dramatic change of plan
This was not how Spurs drew up their summer.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have been hunting a left-sided forward for months. Savinho has arrived and can operate off that flank, but with the Brazilian likely to see more time on the opposite side, Tottenham kept pushing for a specialist option.
Cody Gakpo sat at the top of their list. Tottenham tested the water, but Liverpool ultimately chose to keep the Dutchman. Attention then swung to Iliman Ndiaye, with Spurs exploring a complex chain that would have seen Ndiaye join from Marseille and Richarlison head back to Everton.
That move collapsed at the personal-terms stage, with no agreement between Richarlison and Everton. The whole plan fell apart.
Out of that chaos, Mudryk’s name suddenly shot to the top of the agenda on Monday evening. Within hours, talks accelerated. By Tuesday, Romano was calling the deal “the easiest option” for Spurs: a straight loan, a defined option to buy, no major outgoing required.
For Tottenham, it is a high-upside punt. For Mudryk, it is a lifeline.
A career to relaunch
Mudryk’s Chelsea spell has been turbulent from the start. Signed amid huge fanfare and for a huge fee, he struggled to settle, then disappeared completely once the doping case began. The long layoff means Spurs will need to handle him carefully.
He could technically make his debut as early as Saturday, when Tottenham travel to Nottingham Forest, but given his lack of football, a gradual reintroduction appears far more realistic. Spurs are not just buying pace; they are trying to restore rhythm, confidence and match sharpness.
Still, the attraction is obvious. At his best, Mudryk offers raw speed, direct running and a constant threat in transition – exactly the kind of chaos Postecoglou likes in wide areas. If he clicks, the £75m option suddenly looks less like a risk and more like a ready-made marquee signing.
Chelsea, for their part, offload a player Maresca does not see in his plans while banking a potential future windfall. Tottenham gain a winger with something to prove and a point to make in the Premier League.
The paperwork is almost done. The ban is over. The question now is simple: can Mudryk turn a second chance in north London into the career he was once tipped to own?
