It has been a difficult journey for Mykhailo Mudryk at Chelsea after he joined for a hefty transfer fee in January 2023.
There was a lot of noise around the player because Arsenal wanted his services and it seemed as though he wanted that move.
But Chelsea, with their big bundle of cash and need to impress, came swopping and snapped him up from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Given Mykhailo Mudryk’s raw ability, and the mess that was unfolding at Stamford Bridge, that didn’t marry well and resulted in many problematic performances.
The 23-year-old has come under a lot of fire and there are even large proportions of Arsenal fans who are glad that they didn’t sign him.
But is Mudryk now turning a corner under Mauricio Pochettino’s stewardship?
Ian Wright stated that he is now seeing a change in form from Chelsea as a whole and how the players seem ‘very formed’ in how they are playing, as he told Premier League Productions (13/05/24 at 2:40 pm).
The former striker noted the change in Mudryk’s game when he is running with the ball and how he is ’slowing himself down’ before going again.
That was proven when he helped Chelsea record a deserved 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest recently by getting on the scoresheet.
There is still a long way to go with Mudryk, but Wright is certainly starting to see a change in form, not just for the player, but the club as a whole.
Mykhailo Mudryk’s speed & running with the ball
“It has (surprised me),” admitted Wright about Chelsea having the fourth most points in 2024.
“When you looked at them a couple of months ago and it was all over the place. You felt for Poch. You are in that place thinking, ‘he could go’. Every weekend, with the way they were playing, he could go. But they stuck with him and you have to give them credit for that. He has slowly got it right. There is obviously a lot of work going on in the training ground in the way that they are playing because it seems very formed. They are very muscle memory in what they are doing.
“You are seeing Mudryk now, as quick as he is, he is slowing himself down, and then he is going again. He’s starting to do things. The same with Jackson. They are paying attention to what is needed. Once they tighten things up, there is a dangerous team there.”
More patience is needed with Mykhailo Mudryk
There is no point in buying all these young stars and spending all this money if you aren’t going to be patient with them.
Even if it means giving them more time than you would like, this has to be seen as a long-term project.
READ MORE: THIERRY HENRY MENTIONS CHELSEA AFTER CARLO ANCELOTTI REACHES SIXTH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
The issue the powers that be at Stamford Bridge have is that this current generation of Chelsea fans are used to trophy success after trophy success.
Therefore, fans want to return to those days and it might just require bringing in ready-made stars to speed up the current process.
That’s why there is strong interest in Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen, with sources telling HITC that he is Chelsea’s number-one striker target ahead of the summer transfer window.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
