Although he was provisionally banned for up to four years for his urine testing positive for a banned substance in 2024, Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk appears to be close to returning to football.
When he does, the Blues have an intriguing plan for the 25 year old. Per a report from French outlet L’Equipe, Chelsea could possibly loan the Ukrainian international to their partner club Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
Mudryk obviously would not have a place upon the Chelsea main squad upon his return. Even though the left wing position is still a problem for the Blues, Mudryk was never polished enough to start for them even before accounting for the rust of not playing for a while.
There is also the belief that there is still something special about Mudryk that can be cultivated with his rare athleticism and explosiveness, and he did have occasions where he was scoring great goals on his own, inclding blitzing curlers.
He can better cultivate that in Ligue 1, and even if Chelsea do not want him back after that loan, his best chance at rehabbing some of that transfer value back is by shining regularly outside the Premier League first.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.