Chelsea: the worrying behind flop Mykhaïlo Mudryk

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By: Manu Tournoux

The “Ukrainian Neymar” is at rock bottom. Revealed during the 2021/2022 season with Shakhtar Donetsk, 23-year-old winger Mykhaïlo Mudryk quickly got everyone in agreement in Ukraine. Whether with the Donbass club or with the selection, he magnified his left wing and convinced Chelsea to pay 70 million euros excluding bonuses in January 2023. The Blues had even been in a standoff with Arsenal to steal the Ukrainian nugget and the Gunners finally fell back on Leandro Trossard. A success which the leaders of the Blues were delighted with at the time. The latter had put in the financial means to convince him to come and on January 15, 2023 during a match won 1-0 against Crystal Palace, he made a visit with great fanfare to Stamford Bridge and the Blues environment. This particularly irritated the coach at the time, Graham Potter, who criticized it as an intrusion into his preparation for the match.

Aware of the player’s potential, Chelsea went above and beyond for Mykhaïlo Mudryk at the time. Fast, excellent dribbler, intrepid, the man we nicknamed Misha had everything to be the new star of the London team – he even inherited number 10 during the 2023/2024 season -, but as we have seen since , its trajectory was not what we expected. The large sum paid for him has not really been compensated since. Hit hard by the pace of the Premier League despite the great confidence placed in him by the club, Mykhaïlo Mudryk quickly worried and did not score during his first six months of competition (0 goals and 2 assists in 17 matches). Replacing Raheem Sterling, the Ukrainian winger was only a bench solution for his coaches Graham Potter and Frank Lampard.

A very complicated adaptation

A complicated first six months for the player who had a hard time integrating into the London club. Quite calm, solitary and shy, Mykhaïlo Mudryk does not have the most suitable personality to integrate quickly, especially since his mastery of English is complicated as is his psychological situation. The war in Ukraine inhabits his mind as noted the Daily Mail. However, his motivation was not lacking, according to one of his former teammates. “He felt the pressure of the transfer, 100 percent. He was a good trainer, he always did extras in the gym. But the criticism, especially from fans, was hard for him to take“, he confessed to the English media. If this is not a surprise, because the player regularly shows himself at the gym on his social networks, the Daily Mail also shows a pronounced taste of the player for night outings and the temptations of the English capital without it being excessive.

Within the club, doubts are present, particularly regarding his maturity, but do not revolve around the player’s talent. A little better last season despite a still sporadic role (7 goals and 2 goals in 41 matches), Mykhaïlo Mudryk always managed to convince the Chelsea coaches to integrate him into the project, but his performances were not sufficient to carve out a lasting place in the eleven. Substitute under the orders of Graham Potter, Frank Lampard, Mauricio Pochettino and now Enzo Maresca, Mykhaïlo Mudryk has never been able to fix his situation. This season again, he played little, mainly focusing on the Europa Conference League where he performed well (3 goals and 3 goals in 4 matches). With only 7 appearances and 146 minutes played in the Premier League, however, he was not decisive. A season with two faces for the player who had nevertheless convinced Enzo Maresca in pre-season. The Italian coach had reinforced him in his group while the player had touches in Spain. With this doping story that has just fallen on him, Mykhaïlo Mudryk is not helping his case. Under contract with the Blues until June 2030, the player who risks up to 4 years of suspension is at a major turning point in his career. Second in the Premier League and off to an excellent start to the season, Chelsea are moving forward at a brisk pace in a pace that the Ukrainian will have difficulty catching up with…

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