Should Mykhailo Mudryk be found guilty of a doping offence, Chelsea could terminate his contract on grounds of gross misconduct, potentially opening the door for legal action aimed at recouping losses. According to British sports lawyer Simon Leaf, who spoke to The i Paper, the club may invoke the precedent of Adrian Mutu, who was ordered to pay compensation to Chelsea after a similar incident back in 2004.

Such a move would signal Chelsea's intent to recover part of the substantial investment made in Mudryk. However, it could also trigger a drawn-out legal battle – much like the one involving Mutu, which dragged on until 2010. The dilemma is particularly complex due to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Sacking Mudryk would mean Chelsea can no longer amortise his transfer fee over the duration of his contract, which would hit the club’s financial statements hard and eliminate the option of recovering some of the fee through a future transfer.

It’s a classic lose-lose: keeping Mudryk on the payroll during a potential suspension strains financial resources, while terminating his deal would bring immediate accounting consequences with long-term implications.