Why did Mudryk have Okhtyrka on his shirt? Will he wear it at Arsenal if £62m move goes through?

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Why did Mudryk have Okhtyrka on his shirt? A number of Arsenal fans have wondered after seeing footage of the Ukraine international.

After Arsenal saw a £55m bid rejected by Shakhtar Donetsk, many Arsenal supporters have been watching videos of the Mikel Arteta target’s best moments – an improved £62m offer has now been submitted, according to the Evening Standard.

In the old footage, some clips show the Shakhtar Donetsk No.10 with Okhtyrka on the back of his shirt.

So, why did Mudryk have Okhtyrka instead of his name? And is he likely to wear it at Arsenal? Let’s take a look…

Why did Mudryk have Okhtyrka on his shirt?

Well, the 21-year-old wore Okhtyrka shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Back in April, Shakhtar Donetsk returned to action with a friendly match against Olympiakos ahead of their Football for Peace – Stop War in Ukraine tour around Europe, to raise awareness for victims of the invasion.

Shakhtar Donetsk players wore the names of those cities who fiercely resisted Russia on the back of their shirts in that particular game, such as Mariupol, Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel, Kharkiv, Volnovakha, Chernihiv, Kherson, Okhtyrka and Mykolaiv.

Mudryk and his teammates also wore the special shirts throughout their Football for Peace – Stop War in Ukraine tour, hence why you see the word Okhtyrka pop up on the back of his shirt every now and again in compilation videos, such as the one below.

Will Mudryk wear Okhtyrka on his Arsenal shirt?

Some have wondered if Mudryk will wear Okhtyrka on his Arsenal shirt should a move to the Emirates Stadium materialise this month.

While the Ukrainian wonderkid can have whatever he wants on the back of his shirt, it is unlikely to be anything other than Mudryk.

After Shakhtar Donetsk ended their Football for Peace – Stop War in Ukraine tour, the players went back to wearing their names on their respective jerseys, including Mudryk.

It was a lovely touch from the Ukrainian giants at the time, and they could do something similar in future with the war still ongoing.

We may even see Mudryk and his fellow Ukraine international Zinchenko carry out some kind of tribute for those suffering back in their homeland if the 21-year-old moves to north London.

However, Mudryk is unlikely to have Okhtyrka on his Arsenal shirt – it seems to have been a one off thing.