Chelsea manager Graham Potter has praised Mykhailo Mudryk, a player Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal wanted to sign in the January transfer window, on the club’s official website for his performance against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Potter was pleased with the impact that Mudryk made for Chelsea after coming on as a substitute in the second half against Liverpool.
It was the Ukraine international winger’s debut for the former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners since his move from FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the January transfer window.
Arsenal wanted to sign Mudryk before he switched to London and Premier League rivals Chelsea.
As reported by The Athletic, Chelsea paid Shakhtar £88.7 million in transfer fees for Mudryk.
Arsenal had been in talks with Shakhtar for the 22-year-old for weeks, according to the report, which added that it was the Blues who were willing to make a better offer to the Ukrainian Premier League club.
Mudryk signed an eight-and-a-half year contract with Chelsea.
The youngster came on as a substitute in the 55th minute.
And he was very good.
Mudryk was explosive with the ball and gave James Milner all sorts of trouble.
The winger could have even scored a goal.
And Potter was impressed.
Graham Potter on Mykhailo Mudryk debut for Chelsea v Liverpool
Potter said about Mudryk: ‘That was really good. He’s only been with us a couple of days.
“He will only get better the more he is with us, and the more we understand each other, but promising signs.
“He will get supporters off their seats. His dribbling action is really high. He knows where the goal is.
“We had 45 minutes as his maximum, ideally around 35 minutes. We felt it as the right time to put him in, he is a fit boy and has trained a lot.
“He’s not played since November so it would have been a risk to play him from the start.
“I am happy for him to get his first minutes and start his career with us.”
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