Mykhailo Mudryk signed for Chelsea after a transfer battle with Arsenal in January 2023. The Ukranian signed from Shakhtar Donetsk for £89 million. His debut came against Liverpool at Anfield as a second-half substitute. Even though he showed great skill in the game, his performances ever since have been very inconsistent.
The 23-year-old’s erratic decision-making on and off the ball meant he’s a benchwarmer less than two years after making a blockbuster move to Stamford Bridge. Talented in-form players are above him in the pecking order and he is already struggling for minutes. Mykhailo Mudryk now looks like an afterthought in Maresca’s plans. He did start in two Europa League games but has struggled for minutes in the league. Less than two years after signing for a hefty fee reports suggest that Mudryk could leave in January with a premier league rival interested in securing his signature. What is the best for his career at this point?
Mykhailo Mudryk at Chelsea so far
The 23-year-old was bought in after a transfer battle with Arsenal. He shined on his debut about a week later at Anfield. Ever since he has been extremely inconsistent. In the sixty-four games he has played for the club, he scored just seven goals and assisted 6 times. There is no denying his talent, the level at which he can perform is the highest, but his off-ball positioning and turnovers make it difficult for his teammates. The comments that his coaches have made related to taking him off during matches are not great to hear either. He has shown flashes of what he can do with his blistering pace and his dribbling, but the negatives outweigh the highlights.
Mudryk’s inability to maintain possession has been a problem. He gives away the ball 5.5 times per 90 minutes, leading all Premier League wingers in turnovers. He has lost the ball mostly in the midfield which puts extra pressure on his teammates.
With a new manager coming in, he would have hoped for the situation to get better but it has gone the opposite way. Maresca talked about the kind of wingers he wants at the club. Mudryk is different from that, he likes to cut inside and attack more centrally compared to someone like Madueke who dribbles around the byline, trying to stretch the opposition’s defense. His natural abilities are outstanding. There’s a reason why two top English clubs were battling it out to sign him but with so many players preferred over him, it looks like he could be on his way out.
Competition at Chelsea and possible Liverpool move?
The competition for the four attacking positions at Chelsea is fierce. It’s easier to get on a train in India, than to start for Chelsea at the moment. Palmer is the only one who is nailed in the starting lineup. Apart from him, Maresca’s preferred front three are Sancho on the left, Madueke on the right, and Jackson as the striker. Other than these three, the addition of Pedro Neto and Joao Felix means that Mykhailo Mudryk gets even fewer minutes. It doesn’t end here, Christopher Nkunku is looking great after his first season at the Bridge was ruined by injuries. This means that Mudryk has had little to no playtime in the league this season.
Liverpool could come to rescue him, the Reds are reportedly interested in signing him, as they expect Salah to leave after his contract expires at the end of the season. Chelsea have spent a fortune on Mudryk and getting even half of what they paid for him would make them happy. Liverpool are also monitoring other possible replacements with proven premier league asset Bryan Mbeumo and another former Chelsea winger, Christian Pulisic on the list. They have signed Chiesa this window and are not short on attacking talent. Chelsea and Mudryk need to decide on the future. The Ukranian hasn’t lived up to the hype and like Salah he could also prove doubters wrong at Liverpool.
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