Shakhtar owner donates sizeable sum to Ukraine war effort after selling Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea for £87m
Shakhtar Donetsk owner and president Rinat Akhmetov has used part of Mykhailo Mudryk's Chelsea transfer money to help in Ukraine's war relief.
The Blues completed the winger's signing on Sunday (January 15), spending £87 million, including add-ons. Mudryk was previously heavily linked with Arsenal but Shakhtar held on for their asking price, which was paid by Chelsea.
This comes as a big boost for the Ukrainian club, which had to relocate from Donetsk following Russia's invasion of the country last year. Speaking on Monday (January 16), Akhmetov stated that he is donating £20 million of Mudryk's transfer fee to help with Ukraine's war efforts. He said (via Mirror):
“I am allocating $25 million (UAH 1 billion, £20m) today to help our soldiers, defenders, and their families. The money will be used to cover different needs – from providing medical and prosthetic treatment and psychological support to meeting specific requests."
He added:
“To ensure transparency, the project will have a professional independent team that will be in touch with the Azovstal defenders, their families, care providers, and volunteers.”
Join us in welcoming our new number 15, Mykhailo Mudryk! 👏 https://t.co/QiNPzWPNFY
Akhmetov also expressed his confidence in Ukraine's ability to push Russia back, which will allow Shakhtar to return home to the Donbass Arena. He also explained how tough it was for the club to hold on to Mudryk in such situations.
The winger scored 10 goals and provided eight assists in 18 games for Shakhtar across competitions before joining Chelsea. He was unveiled at Stamford Bridge ahead of the Blues' 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on January 15.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter on Mykhailo Mudryk's signing
After the west London side's win over Crystal Palace, manager Graham Potter shared his thoughts on new signing Mykhailo Mudryk. He told the club's website:
"He’s a young player with a big future. He has exciting quality in the final third, very fast and direct, attacks the backline, can go in wide areas but also affects the goal. He’s a really exciting player and I think our supporters will like him."
Chelsea will hope Mudryk hits the ground running soon and helps them turn around their abysmal season so far. They are 10th in the Premier League table and have scored just 22 goals in 19 games.
The Blues will next face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday (January 21).
For you, Luca. 💙 https://t.co/DcrLJjNJml