Shakhtar Donetsk coach Igor Jovicevic believes Mykhaylo Mudryk ‘can win the Ballon D’Or’ and has ‘more skills than Vinicius Jr’ after Chelsea beat Premier League rivals Arsenal to the Ukraine international, via Tuttomercatoweb.
If you want an example of the fickle nature of modern football, look no further.
Mudryk was the talk of the town following that electrifying cameo off the bench against Liverpool. Just six days later, he was being labelled more Kylian Hazard than Eden following 45 ineffective minutes in that 0-0 draw with high-flying Fulham.
Then again, this is the sort of scrutiny Mudryk can probably expect at Stamford Bridge. Lofty expectations merely come with the territory when a two-time Champions League winner stumps up an initial £62 million to sign you from under the noses of another European giant, Chelsea swooping to snatch Mudryk from Arsenal’s grasp.
But Jovicevic, who’s Shakhtar team relied heavily on Mudryk’s magical talents during the first half of the season, is convinced his former talisman can make good on his vast potential.
Chelsea beat Arsenal to Ukraine international Mykhaylo Mudryk
“(Mudryk) can go as far as he wants. His ambition is unlimited. He can win the Ballon d’Or,” says the former Dnipro and Dinamo Zagreb coach.
“He has more attacking skills than (Real Madrid’s) Vinicius. I can’t compare them, because Mudryk has just arrived at the top. Vinicius has been at the top level for several years. But he has enormous potential.
“He has an incredible work ethic, and trains when everyone else is resting,” Jovicevic adds. “He always wants to perfect his shot, and says he wants to be the best in the world. has a prodigious winning mentality.”
The Shakhtar boss is not the first to claim that Mudryk can follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Kaka by claiming world football’s most coveted individual award.
“Mudryk is a fantastic player,” says Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi (Daily Mail).
The Italian also had a spell in charge of the Ukrainian giants.
“I think Mudryk can win the Ballon d’Or in the future. I know the value of Mudryk, he has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or.”
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