The £89m box office winger free to go on loan - and why Sunderland should sign him

Nearly two years after he last played professional football, Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is once again available after a four-year ban for the use of a prohibited substance was struck down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. What the future holds for the Ukrainian is unclear.

The 25-year-old was provisionally suspended in November 2024 after a drugs test revealed a small sample of meldonium, a banned substance which can improve stamina and recovery time. The FA originally handed him a four-year ban, the maximum possible punishment and the longest ban of any kind in Premier League history, but that has now been overturned and Mudryk – who maintained his innocence throughout the process - can resume his career. But will he do so at Stamford Bridge?

What comes next for Mykhaylo Mudryk after the end of his doping ban?

Chelsea have supported Mudryk throughout the disciplinary process, and he is now set to join the club’s pre-season training squad as he works to return to match fitness, but there is every reason to doubt that they will ultimately choose to reintegrate a player who has been out of the game for some time - and who was struggling at Stamford Bridge even before the ban.

Chelsea spent a reported £89m including add-ons to acquire Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, beating Arsenal to the signing of a player whose combination of pace and guile had earmarked him as a potential superstar. He struggled to adapt to the Premier League, however, and was widely criticised for his performances even before he was suspended.

Mudryk managed just five goals in 53 league appearances for Chelsea and consistently struggled to make an impact in bigger games. Now they have a decision to make about whether to give him a second chance after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

It’s a decision that the club has not yet reached, and they intend to give him an opportunity to prove his fitness and form before reaching a conclusion as to whether to keep him on the books or to find a new club for him – either permanently or on loan.

Despite the enormity of their squad, Chelsea also lack depth on the left wing – Pedro Neto and Jamie Gittens are the only natural players for that position in the first team – which may encourage Xabi Alonso to take a long look at Mudryk before making a final decision about his future.

Making the matter more complicated is the fact that Mudryk still has five years left on the lengthy £100,000 per week contract he signed when he joined Chelsea. In theory, that gives the Ukrainian an extremely high transfer value, but his situation means that few teams would be prepared to pay market price or to take on such a substantial salary.

Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding his situation and the complications involved, several Premier League teams appear to be interested. The Daily Mail reported that three top-flight sides, including Coventry City, have made enquiries, a claim backed up by The Athletic on Tuesday. If Chelsea do decide that it’s best to move on or to find a loan for him while he rebuilds his fitness, they will have options.

Could Sunderland or Brighton be in the market for Mudryk?

In spite of both his long suspension and his previous struggles, the market for Mudryk remains quite strong partly due to his untapped potential but also because there is a dearth of affordable left wingers – and several teams are still searching for options in that position.

Coventry’s interest may also be encouraged by the player’s previous relationship with Frank Lampard, who coached Mudryk at Chelsea while he was caretaker manager in 2023. That was not a successful period for either coach or player – Chelsea won just one of 11 games and Mudryk failed to score in any of them – but apparently Lampard saw something worthwhile in the Ukrainian regardless.

The other clubs who have made initial enquiries – no formal offers have been made or encouraged as yet – are unknown, but there are a handful of teams who have an obvious vacancy on the left flank to be filled.

Sunderland are one such side. Following 2025’s explosive summer of spending, the Black Cats have yet to spend a penny in the current transfer window and wingers are a clear need.

Of their options down the left wing, only Enzo Le Fée was convincing in an otherwise highly successful season at the Stadium of Light, and there is a strong argument that the Frenchman is at his best in the number 10 role. Mudryk is unlikely to be a first-choice target, but taking a chance on him with a loan deal would make sense for a club who need to add creativity and pace in the wide areas.

Brighton & Hove Albion are another team in need of some extra width. While tradition may dictate that players move from the Amex Stadium to Stamford Bridge rather than the other way around, the Seagulls have a shortage of left-sided players as it stands.

Kaoru Mitoma, who has had a torrid time with injuries in recent months, is the preferred starter, but Fabian Hürzeler’s options are otherwise limited – Diego Gómez can play on the left but is more usually deployed as a 10 or down the right, while the only other true left winger in the squad is unproven 21-year-old Ibrahim Osman, who has yet to make an appearance for Brighton after spending two seasons out on loan.

If Mudryk is made available for loan or given the chance to leave permanently for a reasonable fee, it would be unsurprising if either side were stood alongside Coventry among the suitors – but as it stands, there is no guarantee that he leaves Chelsea, or that the financial realities of a deal wouldn’t prove to be an insurmountable barrier.