There are few prospects in world football more intriguing right now than Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The 21-year-old Ukraine international has played his way onto the radar of Arsenal, Everton and Juventus after some dazzling performances for his club, and he sent the excitement into overdrive with a confession that he would not be able to say no to the Gunners.
With his breakout on the global stage upon us, here’s all you need to know about Mudryk.
A product of the Shakhtar youth setup, Mudryk made his debut for the senior side in October 2018 in a cup game, before he moved on loan to fellow Ukrainian side Arsenal Kyiv in March of the following year, remaining there until the summer.
He’d then spend time on loan with Desna before returning to Shakhtar to make a genuine push for first-team football towards the end of 2020.
It was in the 2021 season that Mudryk became a regular starter and he scored his first goal for the club against Mariupol in August of that year, before a four-assist haul against Lviv in December attracted global attention.
With statement performances becoming more common by this point, Mudryk announced himself to the world with a goal and two assists as Shakhtar saw off RB Leipzig in the Champions League in September 2022.
Mudyrk thrives on creativity and making things happen for his teammates.
In the 2021 campaign, he started just seven games but ended up with two goals and seven assists. Those statistics paint a good picture, but for more of an insight into Mudryk’s playstyle, take a look at the advanced numbers.
Last season, he averaged 4.8 progressive passes – among the highest at Shakhtar – and attempted over ten dribbles per 90 minutes.
It’s a good thing Mudryk is so good at creating goals because, when it comes to putting the ball in the pack of the net himself, he leaves a lot to be desired.
In what can be interpreted as a sign of his inexperience, a lot of Mudryk’s shots on goal come from very poor areas, and even when he does get a good look, the winger usually fails to ask any real questions of the goalkeeper.
There’s not a lot fundamentally wrong with what Mudryk has been doing, so there is reason to believe that he can become more of a goal threat over time.
Due to his silky dribbling and love of using agility to beat defenders, Mudryk has been labelled ‘the Ukrainian Neymar’.
While it’s somewhat accurate, it’s not a nickname Mudryk is a huge fan of.
“It’s not Ukrainian Neymar, it’s the Ukrainian Modric – this sounds better,” he told CBS Sports. “Modric is a top player and one of the best players of all time.
Brentford were among the first teams to take interest in Mudryk – as 90min reported in January – but the ambitious Ukraine international had his sights set on playing continental football and publicly admitted he did not believe Brentford were big enough for him.
“With all due respect, I will definitely not be moving to Brentford,” he told Sport Arena. “They’re a mid-table Premier League side that doesn’t compete in European cups. For me, the most important thing is the Champions League.”
Mudryk was also very open with his desire to join another suitor, Bayer Leverkusen, but nothing ever came of it.
Mudryk has numerous tattoos, the most prominent of which sits on his neck and reads ‘Only Jesus’.
In numerous interviews, Mudryk has spoken openly about just how important religion is to him, admitting he wants to talk to everybody about God but often has to stop himself to respect others’ beliefs.
“All my tattoos have a meaning, but ‘Only Jesus’ is the biggest and most important,” he said.
Shakhtar officials have warned suitors that they turned down a €35m bid for Mudryk earlier this year as they value the winger, whose contract expires in December 2026, significantly higher than that.
“For me, Mudryk is the best player in Europe in this position,” Shakhtar director Darijo Srna said recently. “After [Kylian] Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
“After Mbappe and Vinicius, I don’t see a third player other than Mudryk in this position in Europe. Mudryk has crazy potential.”
