The truth about Mykhailo Mudryk's off-field woes as he fails drugs test

The man known as Misha is some mystery. One of European football’s hottest properties to an expensive after thought.

And now this. A career that promised the earth has spiralled downwards. We are now at rock bottom.

Mykhailo Mudryk arrived at Chelsea in January 2023 to much fanfare. An £88million arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ukrainian became the poster boy of the club’s new star-spangled post-Roman Abramovich era.

Snatched from under Arsenal’s noses, his signing was viewed as a triumph by Chelsea’s American ownership.

The Gunners had thrown the lot at trying to land Mudryk only to be gazumped by Chelsea’s millions.

Money talks, and in this case, the millions of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital spoke volumes.

Mudryk and his entourage were given a tour of the inner workings of Stamford Bridge on a match-day as he arrived in London to his complete his switch to the Big Smoke.

The circus created by it all wasn’t Graham Potter’s, then head coach, cup of tea. The confines of the tunnel and dressing room area are sacred on match-days.

But Mudryk was a special case. At least so Chelsea’s owners thought.

‘This is a huge club, in a fantastic league and it is a very attractive project for me at this stage of my career,’ said Mudryk upon signing.

If only he knew. Hindsight is 20/20, of course; there can be no doubting who got the better end of that deal.

Arsenal have dodged a bullet and without Mudryk have become one of European football’s strongest outfits.

Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, are also - finally - taking positive strides. But that progress has been made largely without Mudryk, who has flattered to deceive for Chelsea on a consistent basis.

And now news of a positive drugs reading.

Those who have spent time in Mudryk’s company describe a quiet, almost timid, man struggling to cope with the ordeals of living in another country - particularly when his homeland has been torn by conflict. His grasp of English ism also a viewed as an obstacle.t

One individual who has played and trained with Mudryk describes an easygoing soul who’d grown an obsession with trying to prove himself in Europe’s toughest league. Not only that - trying to prove he is worth his price tag.

‘He felt the pressure of the transfer, 100 percent,’ said the player.

‘He was a good trainer, he’d always do extras in the gym. But the criticism, especially from fans, was hard to take for him.’

Contrastingly, others indicate his penchant for a night out; a attraction not necessarily unusual for foreign footballers seduced by capital’s bright lights and temptations.

Behind the scenes there have been issues that have been brushed under the carpet amid concerns over his maturity.

But despite the clear failure to fulfil his expectations and, certainly, his hefty price tag - the talent is unquestioned.

Frank Lampard, Mauricio Pochettino, Potter and Maresca will all have a tale or two to tell you about Mudryk.

Yet they would also describe a footballer blessed with all the raw materials to become one of the most potent attackers on the world stage.

That’s why the 23-year-old has been afforded the chances he has at Chelsea.

There was some interest from Spain in Mudryk in the summer but by all accounts Maresca liked what he saw in pre-season.

He was picked in the match-day squad ahead of Raheem Sterling for the season opener versus Manchester City before starting the following week away at Wolves.

He lasted just 45 minutes before being substituted at Molineux. Mudryk hasn’t started in the Premier League since, though he has made six substitute appearances and played in Europe and the Carabao Cup.

Indeed, the lack of first-team football has become a problem for Chelsea, who are paying Mudryk in the region of £200,000-per-week.

It’s a problem for Mudryk too, of course, as he tries to get his once burgeoning career back on track.

Those problems pale into insignificance when compared to what Chelsea and Mudryk are faced with now.