What Is Chelsea’s Plan For Mykhailo Mudryk And Is He Doing Enough To Impress?

An image circulated around social media after England’s 2-0 win over Ukraine that depicted Bukayo Saka skipping away from Mykhailo Mudryk, pained expression, sat on the ground. Arsenal fans took delight in the sight of their winger prompting such a moment of reflection from a player who could have joined them in January.

Mudryk was Arsenal’s top target for months before Chelsea swooped in. Now at Stamford Bridge instead, the 22-year-old has struggled to find his feet for his new club, going six Premier
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League matches without finding the back of the net. Substituted after 60 minutes against England, Mudryk looked low on confidence.

Potter has settled on a front three of Joao Felix, Kai Havertz and one other with Christian Pulisic possibly ahead of Mudryk in the pecking order as things currently stand. This raises the question – what is Chelsea’s plan for the Ukrainian winger? How will Mudryk fit into Potter’s team once he has acclimatised to his new surroundings?

“Of course, every player wants to play and it’s important that players play to improve, I think that’s a fact,” Potter explained. “But at the same time, it’s not a straight road, it’s not just a play and everything happens in a linear way. Sometimes you have to take a step away. Sometimes you just need a bit of training time. Sometimes you need a breather. So there are a lot of factors.

“Hopefully, he can benefit from the time he’s had. And again, it’s not easy for him to just arrive in the middle of what was pre-season for him and to come into a new country, new club, new league, and just hit his absolute maximum level. It is regardless of the fee; I know people will look at the fee but it doesn’t change the situation he is in. We’re positive about him. We’re positive about the future for him.”

Chelsea have signed so many new players over the last two transfer windows that some will inevitably find themselves on the outside looking in. Mudryk, however, cost $100m. Chelsea can’t afford to have the 22-year-old on the periphery of their squad. They need Mudryk to be an important figure.

In theory, Mudryk could perform well on the left side of the Chelsea frontline. His pace and direct running make him a good option and could stop Potter’s team from becoming too congested in the centre of the pitch. It might just be that Mudryk needs to grow accustomed to the movement and decision-making of his new teammates.

However, it’s also fair to say Chelsea surely would have expected more from their new signing, even if it is still early days in his career at the club. His performances in a blue shirt have been underwhelming. Arsenal continue to stride towards the Premier League title while Mudryk is standing still at Chelsea.