Mykhailo Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023 for an initial £61m, having attracted interest from clubs across Europe including Arsenal. After impressing in the Champions League with Shakhtar in the first half of 2022-23, Mudryk needed time to adapt to a new country and league. Mudryk struggled for Premier League starts in the first months of Maresca's tenure, but he was making an impact in the Conference League when he underwent an out-of-competition test on international duty with Ukraine in October 2024.