Why Mudryk must kickstart his career by joining Chelsea's Premier League rivals

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 16 Feb 2024 11:14 GMT
• 4 min read

Mykhailo Mudryk has been an unused substitute in three of Chelsea’s past five league games and he hasn’t started a Premier League match since 27 December.

The Ukrainian is evidently out of favour under Mauricio Pochettino, whose recent comments suggest Mudryk has a lot of work to do in order to become a regular at Stamford Bridge.

Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson are both ahead of the ex-Shakhtar star in the pecking order, while many Chelsea fans have called for academy wonderkid Tyrique George to be given a chance in the first-team amid Mudryk’s stuttering form.

The 22-year-old has four goals and three assists in all competitions so far this season, but has taken a step backwards since an encouraging October and is now unlikely to become regular in the starting XI before the 2023-24 season ends.

Mudryk is still incredibly raw as a footballer and his initial €70 million price tag was clearly an overpay from Chelsea.

He evidently has talent and his speed is a huge asset, but Mudryk is simply not ready to impact games for Chelsea.

That fact was clear during the Blues’ 3-1 win over Crystal Palace. With the score at 1-1 as the game entered its dying stages, Pochettino left Mudryk on the bench despite the fact Chelsea needed a goal.

Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez stepped up in stoppage time, but it was telling that Mudryk was ignored even with Chelsea chasing a winner.

As a result, a loan move away makes sense for both parties - Mudryk will likely receive regular game time, while Chelsea may finally see reward for their investment.

Who should Mykhailo Mudryk join on loan?

Bayern Munich reportedly approached Chelsea regarding a possible loan deal for Mudryk in January, while FootballTransfers understand the Ukrainian was keen to rejoin Shakhtar on loan, but both requests were denied by the Blues.

However, data analytics experts SciSports believe that Mudryk’s best destination remains in the Premier League.

SciSports use an AI-driven algorithm and multiple different factors to determine the best club for any given player in world football.

For Mudryk, SciSports believe that West Ham United would be the best club for him to perform. David Moyes’ side lost Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma during the January transfer window and don’t currently have an out-and-out left winger in their squad.

Lucas Paqueta has played there for most of the season, but the Brazil international is best in a number eight role and his attacking flair could be unlocked in the centre of the pitch. That shift could allow Mudryk to become West Ham’s starting left winger, if the Hammers would be keen on signing the Ukrainian on loan.

His pace perfectly suits Moyes’ counter-attacking style, while he could dovetail nicely with Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus. Mudryk would likely be given a starting role at the London Stadium and his best attributes align nicely with how West Ham tend to play.

Sitting deep and hitting teams with fast transitions has been West Ham’s bread and butter over the past few years and adding Mudryk to their counter-attacking unit could see him rediscover the form that convinced Chelsea to spend €70m on him in 2023.