It feels somewhat poetic that Mykhailo Mudryk replaced Manor Solomon for his 2021 Champions League debut.

The former Tottenham Hotspur winger was hooked for the Ukrainian in the 82nd minute of Shakhtar Donetsk’s eventual 3-2 aggregate win over Monaco to book a spot in the group stages of the competition. Their manager that evening? Roberto De Zerbi.

Five years on, De Zerbi and Mudryk are reunited at Tottenham.

How Spurs landed on Mudryk

“I think Mudryk can win the Ballon d’Or,” De Zerbi said of the winger following his 2023 move to Chelsea.

“He has the quality to become a star in the Premier League,” the then-Brighton & Hove Albion boss added. At the time, there was some truth behind his comments. Chelsea pipped Arsenal to the signing of the 25-year-old midway through the 2022-23 campaign.

The Gunners had pushed to land the speedster from Shakhtar, only to be blown out of the water by the Blues’ £89m (including add-ons) bid. The north London side went on to sign Leandro Trossard that same window instead. Talk about a sliding doors moment.

And while Trossard helped Arsenal claim a first Premier League title triumph in 22 years last season, Mudryk was sidelined owing to a doping ban handed down in December 2024. In July, all charges were dropped, with the forward available to play in all competitions.

Mudryk had hoped to catch the eye of Xabi Alonso in pre-season, but Chelsea were happy to sanction his departure. He may not have been Spurs’ first-choice target in a bid to bolster the frontline – Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye were higher on the club’s wish list – but the north London side firmed up their interest on the penultimate day of the summer transfer window.

On deadline day, a loan deal with an option to buy for £75m – yes, you read that correctly – was confirmed.

How De Zerbi got the best out of Mudryk

It is a move that has supporters tearing their hair out. To go from Gakpo, to Ndiaye, and ultimately to an attacker who hasn’t played competitively in almost two years is hardly a good look.

Conversely, there is a method to the madness. Just hear us out before shooting us down.

No matter how you look at it, Spurs’ move for Mudryk reeks of desperation. It is not the first time they have been in this position. Loan moves for Timo Werner and Randal Kolo Muani are a case in point. Both flattered to deceive. Third time’s the charm?

With just hours until the window closes, Spurs were up a creek without a paddle and, seemingly hellbent on Premier League experience, turned their attention to the Ukraine international. That Chelsea were open to green lighting the switch across the capital should be a red flag.

But Mudryk is a player De Zerbi knows well. The latter will view the former as a winger who has simply lost his way. After all, Mudryk managed two goals and nine assists across 19 league appearances under De Zerbi’s tutelage during their brief time together at Shakhtar – 1.14 direct goal involvements per 90 minutes is the player’s best return under any manager to date.

Across six European outings during the 2021-22 Champions League group stages, Mudryk was putting up solid hauls of 2.5 successful dribbles per 90 and creating two chances per 90. It was this rawness that really helped Mudryk explode onto the scene as his stock started to soar.

Crucially, the following Champions League campaign saw Mudryk score three and provide an additional two assists, all this without father figure De Zerbi at the Shakhtar helm. “He’s my son!” De Zerbi enthused about Mudryk when it was confirmed his ban was overturned last month.

Why the Spurs system suits Mudryk

At Spurs, De Zerbi’s attacking approach should enable Mudryk to showcase his best form once more. The 47-year-old wants his wingers to remain high and wide in his favoured 4-2-3-1 setup.

The idea is to bait the press and quickly transition from defence to attack, maximising the line-breaking passing of the centre-backs, in this case, Jan Paul van Hecke and, when he plays, Marcos Senesi.

The setup allows the wide men to turn on the afterburners and break for goal, either down the byline and pulling back for the striker to score, or to bear down on the opposition goalkeeper. He struggled at Chelsea in part due to the instructions to slow the play down rather than break forward at speed.

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At Spurs, he’ll be afforded the chance to play quick one-twos with the midfield in order to maximise his pace off the mark. De Zerbi unlocked Mudryk by granting him the freedom to drive into space. He knows the player’s profile better than anyone, and for a manager who demands his forwards attack a defensive line at speed, Mudryk suits the system.

It’s quite the drop-off from Gakpo and Ndiaye, but on a loan deal it is a low-risk move for a player De Zerbi knows well, even if the player in question hasn’t registered a competitive minute since the 2024 festive period.

And after such a lengthy spell out, Mudryk is keen to prove a point. There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal. Carry out De Zerbi’s precise one-on-one patterns, and he will quickly get back into the swing of things.