Shakhtar Donetsk owner Rinat Akhmetov will donate more than £20 million of the transfer fee received from Chelsea for the sale of Mykhailo Mudryk to help support those affected by the war in Ukraine.
The 22-year-old winger was unveiled at Stamford Bridge during the Blues’ 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, following his £62m transfer from the Ukrainian champions, a fee that could rise to £88m depending on performances.
It is the highest transfer fee ever received by a Ukrainian club, and comes as a financial boost for Shakhtar after the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week ruled that Fifa acted legally in allowing foreign players to cancel their contracts at Ukrainian clubs following Russia’s invasion last February. Shakhtar claimed they had lost out on more than £35m in transfer revenue.
“I can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk is leaving FC Shakhtar to play at Chelsea Football Club in the English Premier League, the strongest national championship,” Akhmetov said in a statement.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the entire civilised world for helping Ukraine. We can only talk about Ukrainian football because of the Ukrainian army, the Ukrainian people and the tremendous support we have had during this incredibly difficult time. And the only way we can defeat the evil that has come to our homes is by working together.
“I am donating $25m (£20.4m) of the transfer fee to help our soldiers, defenders and their families. The money will be used to cover different needs, from providing medical and prosthetic treatment and psychological support, to meeting specific requests. It will be managed by an independent professional team that will work with the Azovstal defenders, their families, care providers and volunteers.”
Akhmetov, a billionaire oligarch from Donetsk who became rich in the years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, took control of Shakhtar in 1996 and bankrolled the club to become the strongest in Ukraine and a regular in the Champions League.
He has made frequent charitable donations during the country’s conflict with Russia, including providing humanitarian aid at Shakhtar’s former stadium, the Donbas Arena, after pro-Russian separatists took control of Donetsk in 2014. Aid ceased in 2017 after the rebels blocked access to the stadium.
It was reported after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February that Akhmetov would donate more than £80m to the war effort, with his company, System Capital Management, paying £28m in advanced taxes to shore up the state’s finances.
The fee for Mudryk comes after Shakhtar were unwilling to drop their price in negotiations with Arsenal, who had looked favourites for his signature, allowing Chelsea to move in and clinch the deal late on Saturday.
“I am happy for Mykhailo and very proud of him,” said Akhmetov. “He has shown that talent and hard work can make the impossible possible. And I have no doubt he will shine at Chelsea and across Europe.
“On the other hand, I have never made it a secret that my dream is to win European trophies. This means that we need players like Mykhailo in Ukrainian clubs, competing at the European level. Unfortunately, that is impossible at the moment, because of this unjust war being waged against us by the Russian Federation.
“But I remain utterly confident we will defeat the aggressor. One of the things I look forward to most after our victory is Mykhailo returning with his Chelsea team for a friendly match in Donbas Arena in a Ukrainian Donetsk.
“We must do everything we can to bring this day closer.”
Chelsea 1 Crystal Palace 0 - player ratings
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CHELSEA RATINGS: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 8: Missed a cross from Olise in the first half but recovered well to save from Mitchell in the same attacking phase. He then made another save to deny Olise. His best contribution was keeping Schlupp’s header at bay on the stroke of half-time, which kept the Blues in it. In the second half, he saved at full stretch to deny Doucoure. AP -
Trevoh Chalobah – 5: Looked low on confidence and had a tough afternoon thanks to Zaha’s power and pace. Slow when transitioning the ball. Getty -
Thiago Silva – 7: Had to deal with Palace targeting the space behind him as the Eagles tried to get Zaha into the game, but the Brazilian dealt with their long balls with ease. He had a triple-pronged effort at goal from a Ziyech corner and two blocks, but Gauita was equal to his half-volley. PA -
Benoit Badiashile – 6: Lost his first aerial battle in English football, against Zaha, and was later beaten by Olise following an undercooked pass by Gallagher. However, overall, he looked composed on the ball. Though not always convincing in one-on-one situations, he formed a reasonable partnership with Silva. Reuters -
Lewis Hall – 6: His performance will have polarised opinion, for while he was always looking to get forward and play the probing pass, his decision-making wasn’t always up to scratch. Still, an encouraging performance from left-back. AFP -
Conor Gallagher – 7: Strong first half and good distribution throughout bar one pass that left Badiashile under pressure against Olise. Was on the receiving end of a few feisty challenges, to which he then responded. AFP -
Jorginho – 5: Was second best in phases in the first half but grew into the game, and enjoyed more space as the contest went on. However, he tended to slow down the game when in possession. Reuters -
Hakim Ziyech – 7: Heavily involved in the first half, he was a menace on the right flank and a constant source of problems for Palace. He came close to opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time, but his effort was well saved by Guaita. Faded as the game went on. Reuters -
Carney Chukwuemeka – 6: Chelsea got off to a bright start and that was, in part, helped by Chukwuemeka’s brilliant early run. He combined well with Hall throughout and though he didn’t trouble Palace too much, he still gave Clyne a tough afternoon. Replaced on the hour. AFP -
Mason Mount – 5: Struggled in the middle at times but linked well with Ziyech on the right-hand side on a couple of occasions. Delivered one teasing cross that Havertz should have headed home, but didn’t. Poor overall; encapsulated by a poor pass with Aubemeyang in a good position. EPA -
Kai Havertz – 6: Was asked to lead the line and looked uncomfortable doing so. Consequently, when he dropped deeper following Aubameyang’s introduction, he broke the deadlock with the decisive header. He came close with two other headers, one in the first half that finished over the bar, and another late on that glanced wide. Other than that, his overall play was a source of frustration for the home fans. PA -
SUBS: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Chukwuemeka, 63') – 5: Had a glorious chance to convert but Havertz got to the ball first and glanced the ball wide of the post with a header. Starved of any real service. Getty -
Kalidou Koulibaly (Hall, 78') – N/A: An odd change that seemed to weaken Chelsea’s back line. AFP -
Mateo Kovacic (Ziyech, 89) – N/A: Another defensive substitution to help Chelsea close out the game. AFP -
Cesar Azpilicueta (Havertz, 89) – N/A: Came on to ensure Zaha was kept quiet in the closing stages. Getty -
PALACE RATINGS: Vicente Guaita – 7: Made a number of good saves, his first at full stretch to his left despite seeing Silva half volley late, and then doing well to stop Ziyech on the stroke of half-time. Looked confident claiming crosses. Could do little about the goal. Getty -
Nathaniel Clyne – 5: Like Mitchell, he had a tough afternoon with both Chukwuemeka and Hall overlapping on the left. AP -
Joachim Andersen – 6: Enjoyed a solid start but the Dane was forced off ten minutes from the break after a heavy knock. AP -
Marc Guehi – 6: The skipper was solid on his return to his former club, and made a good block to deny Aubameyang. Reuters -
Tyrick Mitchell – 6: Back in the starting line-up after missing three games through suspension, he had a tough baptism of fire trying to keep Ziyech under control. He looked better going forward than defending, and he had a shot at goal well saved by Kepa. Getty -
Jeffrey Schlupp – 5: Back in the team ahead of Will Hughes, Schlupp enjoyed some space in the opening phases but couldn’t take full advantage. He had the best chance of the first half when he fired a header at goal on the stroke of half-time, but Kepa was equal to it. Reuters -
Cheick Doucoure – 6: Enjoyed the upper hand in the midfield tussle in the first half but picked up a yellow after lunging and catching Gallagher on the foot. He was lucky to escape a red card for again lunging in on Gallagher. Came close with a rasping effort that was denied by Kepa at full stretch. AP -
Jordan Ayew – 4: Was poor throughout and the only surprise was that he wasn’t substituted earlier than the 70th minute. Palace looked more dangerous when Vieira made three changes. AP -
Michael Olise – 7: Targeted Lewis Hall in the early stages and managed to get several crosses in, with varying degrees of success. Had several efforts on goal throughout but couldn’t get the best of Kepa. Palace’s best attacking outlet. AFP -
Eberechi Eze – 5: One of the winger’s quieter games, though he did force Kepa into one save. AFP -
Wilfried Zaha – 6: Palace tried to get the ball to Zaha over the top of Silva, but the Brazilian was equal to it. Zaha was always a danger, but he looks out of sorts in the centre forward role. AFP -
SUBS: James Tomkins (Andersen, 38) – 5: Was preferred to Chris Richards as a replacement for the injured Anderson. AP -
Will Hughes (Schlupp, 70) – N/A: Hughes was an upgrade on Schlupp, but he picked up a yellow for a foul on Gallagher. Reuters -
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Ayew, 70) – N/A: Had few touches after coming on and didn’t win enough balls, particularly in the air. That said, he looked more promising than the disappointing Ayew. AP -
Odsonne Edouard (Eze, 70) – N/A: Surprised that he didn’t come on earlier, as Palace looked far more dangerous with him on the field. Excellent movement and link-up play. AFP
