How Chelsea FLOP Mudryk is SUPERIOR to Mbappe

Tom Hancock

30 Aug 2023 15:35 BST
3 min read

Mykhailo Mudryk’s time at Chelsea so far has been far from a resounding success – but there’s still plenty of hope for the £88.5m winger.

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That’s according to his Ukraine teammate, Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal, who believes “the sky is the limit” for his young compatriot.

And one of Mudryk’s current club colleagues has even compared him favourably with a certain Kylian Mbappe…

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Zinchenko told Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE YouTube channel: “Wesley Fofana has played with them both [Mudryk for Chelsea and Mbappe for France] and he was so confident; he said, ‘100% Mudryk [is faster than Mbappe]’. Honestly, I’ve never seen something like this.

“The sky is the limit [for Mudryk]. The quality he has is incredible – incredible. The thing is, I know the price tag and pressure…I used to speak with him a lot. He came from the Ukrainian league and, unfortunately, the league isn’t the same level it was before. And he came straight away to Chelsea – and you want to see it [his best form] straight away? Please; it takes time. I don’t wish it against Arsenal, but his quality? Phew.”

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Mudryk yet to make his mark

Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January but, as alluded to by Zinchenko, has taken time to settle in at Stamford Bridge.

And that’s hardly surprising given the disastrous 2022/23 campaign the Blues endured, slumping to a 12th-placed Premier League finish and going through three managers.

New boss Mauricio Pochettino has used Mudryk as a substitute in two of his side’s three league games so far this term – and the 22-year-old could well be involved in tonight’s Carabao Cup Round Two tie at home to AFC Wimbledon.