Arsenal were ready to pay £88m to sign ‘incredible’ star, now he could quit football and join another sport

One player who Edu was ready to break the bank for could be about to quit football for another sport.

Former Arsenal target Mykhaylo Mudryk wants to compete in the 2028 Olympics

Mykhaylo Mudryk is a popular name among Arsenal fans.

The Ukraine international was a key target for the Gunners back in January 2023. Edu did everything he could to sign him.

Mudryk was desperate to join Arsenal too and posted several hints on social media leading up to his departure from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The club’s CEO, Sergei Palkin, claimed that Arsenal offered an £88 million package to sign Mudryk as well (The Athletic), but the attacker joined Chelsea in the end.

The 24-year-old struggled to live up to all the hype at Chelsea, and to make things worse, in December 2024, he was charged with a doping offence after testing positive for a banned substance (BBC).

Mudryk hasn’t played for club or country since, and now, Marca have revealed that he wants to swap football for sprinting and is keen to represent Ukraine in the 2028 Olympics.

Hailed as ‘incredible’ by Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mudryk is rapid, having recorded a top speed of 36.67 km/h during a game.

It remains to be seen if he has a career as a sprinter.

Arsenal were lucky to miss out on Mykhaylo Mudryk

At one point in January 2023, it looked certain that Arsenal would sign Mudryk.

However, Chelsea hijacked the deal at the last minute, and many Blues supporters celebrated signing a player who they thought was a future superstar.

However, Mudryk really struggled at Chelsea, while the player Arsenal signed instead of him, Leandro Trossard, has produced excellent numbers in the famous red and white.

As the table shows above, Trossard has been an incredible signing for Arsenal compared to their original target, Mudryk.

The Gunners definitely dodged a bullet with the Ukrainian, who could soon change his career.