Shakhtar Donetsk say selling £88m Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea would be ‘maybe IMPOSSIBLE’ if they were still owned by Russian Roman Abramovich – because the Ukrainian club feared ‘critics of these kind of connections’
- Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin couldn’t have foreseen the deal with Abramovich
- The former Chelsea owner sold the club following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
- Mykhailo Mudryk became Ukraine’s record signing after the £88m agreement
- Palkin believes the deal is an important moment for the often-embattled nation
Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin believes selling new Chelsea signing Mykhailo Mudryk to the club under former owner Roman Abramovich would have been ‘maybe impossible.’
Abramovich, who had close ties to Russia, saw his reign at the helm of Chelsea come to an end following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
After sanctions from the UK government, the succeeding month Abramovich announced his intention to sell the club he had owned since 2003, leading to Todd Boehly’s and Clearelake Capital’s takeover – and a stream of big-money signings since, including Mudryk.
£88m Chelsea signing Mykhailo Mudryk was unveiled to his new adorers at Stamford Bridge
‘If there was no new owner of Chelsea, there would be a lot of critics in respect of us, because of these kinds of connections,’ Palkin told The Athletic when asked about the importance of new ownership as a means to the £88million deal.
When asked if Mudryk’s Chelsea signing would’ve been ‘improbable’ under Abramovich, Palkin replied ‘Maybe even impossible.’
The Blues pipped London rivals, Arsenal to the services of the talented Ukrainian winger, ensuring a record price for any player from the embattled nation.
‘Ukraine got absolutely top-level coverage across the world, and for us it is positive promotion of our country,’ Palkin admitted.
Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin cast doubt on a deal if Chelsea had its previous owner
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led Roman Abramovich (above) to sell Chelsea to Todd Boehly
‘Mudryk became an ambassador of Ukraine across the world. I like very much that he went to the Premier League because it is the best league in the world, and also England supports Ukraine a lot.’
The precocious 22-year-old was draped in the Ukrainian flag as he walked onto the Stamford Bridge pitch to hearty applause from his new fans on Sunday against Crystal Palace.
‘For the whole world and Ukraine, it is an important transfer,’ Palkin added. ‘We have context in this transfer: American owners, England, Ukraine – this triangle. Today, we are as close as ever. It is an important point.
Mudryk star has risen both in his home nation and across the continent over the past season
