Tottenham Hijack Mudryk Move on Deadline Day
Mykhailo Mudryk is heading for a medical at Tottenham, with Spurs swooping late to beat Leeds United to the Chelsea winger’s signature on deadline day.
Leeds had been strongly in the mix for the Ukrainian, with a wide forward high on Daniel Farke’s list as the clock ticks towards the 11pm cut-off. The club remain active and intent on adding attacking firepower, but Mudryk will not be walking out at Elland Road.
Instead, Tottenham have stepped in and changed the script.
Spurs pounce with big-money option
Spurs moved quickly to hijack the proposed move, with transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reporting that an agreement is in place for a paid loan from Chelsea that includes a £75 million buy option.
On X, Romano wrote: “BREAKING: Mykhaylo Mudryk to Tottenham, here we go! Everything agreed also on personal terms. Mudryk joins #THFC on paid loan and also understand there will be a buy option clause not mandatory in the agreement. The Ukrainian will re-join De Zerbi.”
The deal would represent another major outlay in a remarkable window for Roberto De Zerbi’s side. Tottenham have already overhauled their squad with a string of headline arrivals: Andy Robertson on a free from Liverpool, Marcos Senesi on a free from Bournemouth, Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m from Brighton, Martin Dubravka on a free from Burnley, Mateus Fernandes for £85m from West Ham, Sandro Tonali for £92.5m from Newcastle United, Savinho for £75m from Manchester City and Omar Marmoush on loan from Manchester City.
Now Mudryk is set to join that list, with defender Tosin Adarabioyo also due for a medical as he prepares to swap Chelsea blue for Spurs colours.
Mudryk’s ban and return
Mudryk’s move comes at the end of a turbulent period in his career. The 25-year-old was handed a four-year suspension in 2024 after failing a drug test, which detected a low concentration of the banned substance meldonium.
He has not played since November of that year, but his situation shifted dramatically when his doping ban was resolved on appeal. He was cleared to return to action at the end of last month, reopening the door to top-level football – and, now, to the Premier League spotlight once again.
Leeds left looking elsewhere
For Leeds, the late twist forces a rethink in the final hours of the window.
Missing out on Mudryk could open the door wider for two Welsh wingers already in the building. Daniel James and Harry Wilson both operate off the flanks and now stand to benefit from the collapse of the club’s pursuit of the Ukrainian.
Wilson arrived on a free from Fulham in the summer and is pushing to nail down a regular starting role. James, by contrast, is trying to restart his Leeds career after a difficult 18 months scarred by injuries and stop-start form.
They will know, though, that Farke is still not satisfied with his attacking options. The manager remains determined to “bolster his arsenal in the final third,” and that intent keeps the pressure firmly on every forward player in the squad.
Leeds finished 14th in the Premier League last season. That is the backdrop to this urgency: mid-table is not the ambition, and the recruitment drive reflects it.
Gnonto future tied to late business
Wilfried Gnonto’s situation adds another layer to a frantic deadline day. The Italian is expected to leave Elland Road for Fiorentina, but only on one condition – Leeds must first secure a replacement.
That clause turns the final hours before 11pm into a tightrope. Find the right attacker, and Gnonto’s move can be signed off. Fail to land anyone, and the young forward stays put, at least until January.
Leeds have lost the race for Mudryk. The question now is whether they can find an alternative in time, or whether this window will close with the club’s attacking rebuild still only half-done.
