'Could push' - £88m Chelsea signing tipped to secure January exit amid 'cash in' claims

Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk could be gearing up for a January exit from Stamford Bridge in order to ‘reignite’ his football career.

Reports from Football Insider have claimed that the SW6 club are now open to letting the Ukrainian star leave in the upcoming transfer window, after he has fallen down the squad pecking order. The winger is said to be open to the idea of an early exit and is said to be ready to ‘push’ for the move himself.

The 23-year-old forward has struggled to adapt to the rigours of Premier League football since joining the Blues in 2023 from Shakhtar Donetsk. Following the recent arrival of Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho on loan, Mudryk has seen his game time limited even further..

Since Sancho’s transfer deadline day move, which the Blues are obliged to make a permanent deal at the end of the season, the England winger has made two Premier League appearances for Enzo Maresca’s side. Mudryk has been limited to just one EFL Cup appearance: Chelsea’s 5-0 win over League Two side Barrow.

Even before the arrival of the former Borussia Dortmund star, however, Mudryk’s game time has been significantly limited with the 23-year-old playing only 61 minutes in the club’s opening five Premier League matches of the season. He made 41 appearances for the club across all competitions last season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists.

At the time of his Blues transfer, Mudryk had reportedly been the subject of an intense transfer battle between Chelsea and their London rivals Arsenal. But the Ukrainian ultimately opted to sign a seven-year deal worth up to £88 million with the Stamford Bridge club. Arsenal would go on to sign Belgian star Leandro Trossard instead.

Now, however, his lengthy deal could well be cut short and earlier this month it was suggested that Roberto de Zerbi’s Marseille are keen to sign Mudryk on a loan deal early next year. Teamtalk have also indicated that there has been interest from European giants Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

While a permanent deal with any side seems unlikely at this stage, the Blues will reportedly seek to secure a loan deal as a viable alternative in order to cash-in further down the line. . Chelsea are not likely to get anywhere close to the £88m that they paid for Mudryk 18 months ago, but a loan move would certainly help them to retain some of the winger’s value - especially if regular game time ensures he can regain his Shakhtar Donetsk form