Mudryk backed to succeed at Chelsea by former boss De Zerbi

Cameron Smith

• 14 Apr 2023 11:10 CDT
• 3 min read

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi believes Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk will become a star in the Premier League despite his struggles since moving to West London in January.

The Ukraine international was involved in a transfer tug-of-war between Chelsea and Arsenal during the January window, with the former winning the battle after they paid €100 million to secure his services.

However, the former Shakhtar Donetsk star hasn't lived up to expectations and is yet to score for his new team. Furthermore, he has started just four games for the Blues, while he's failed to play a single minute on four occasions since joining the club.

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On the other hand, Leandro Trossard, the man Arsenal signed after missing out on Mudryk, has bagged eight goals and assists in 14 appearances for Mikel Arteta's side.

Despite his struggles, De Zerbi has backed Mudryk to succeed at Stamford Bridge.

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What has De Zerbi said?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Brighton's trip to face Chelsea on Saturday, De Zerbi was questioned about Mudryk, a player he coached during his time at Shakhtar Donetsk.

"Me and my staff have a special relationship [with Mudryk]. He is like a son to us," De Zerbi revealed.

"I hope he stays on the bench and doesn’t play but I love him. We hope the best for him… from the next game.

"I think for Chelsea it has been a difficult season but they are still a big, big, big team," he continued. "One season can happen like this. For any young player it is more difficult to adapt to another country and another style of football.

"Chelsea have many big players and I think it is a normal situation for him, he has to adapt and to understand his life has changed but I think he is good, smart guy. He can become a top, top player."

De Zerbi has previously stated that he believes Mudryk has the potential to become a future Ballon d'Or winner after seeing his potential first-hand during his time in Ukraine.

Interim Chelsea boss Frank Lampard reverted away from his favoured back four system in the midweek defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League, but could return to the formation against the high-flying Seagulls.

The former Everton manager admitted he will give minutes to the player who missed out on selection at the Santiago Bernabeu, which could give Mudryk the chance to impress against De Zerbi.