‘Never’: Steven Gerrard makes Mykhailo Mudryk claim after Arsenal transfer snub

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Steven Gerrard says ‘the talent is never going to leave’ Chelsea and Ukraine star Mykhailo Mudryk who could have joined Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal during the January transfer window.

The Premier League legend thinks Mykhailo Mudryk can become that ‘big player’ his country expects him to be following his slow start to life in the Premier League.

Many were expecting the 22-year-old to be donning the colours of Arsenal, especially given that he was dropping hint after hint on social media about wanting to move to the Emirates.

But football always has a strange way of playing out its drama, and in this case, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly got his chequebook out AGAIN and hijacked Arsenal’s possible deal for Mudryk.

Life at Stamford Bridge isn’t going at the speed in which the player would have liked, but that’s understandable given the timing of his arrival and the environment he is in.

Steven Gerrard is certain that the all-action forward will come good and he backed him to get ‘stronger and stronger’, as he told Channel 4.

“He will want to show Ukraine fans that he is the big player that left the country to come and play in England,” said Gerrard.

“You have got to give these young players a bit of time to settle into England. It’s not as easy just to come for this big fee and expect them to hit the ground running.

“He needs time to settle into London. He needs to make friends and build relationships. The talent is never going to leave him.

“But, with time, games and building relationships, then this talent will flourish. It will get stronger and stronger.”

MUDRYK’S VISIT TO THE EMIRATES

It’s probably written in the stars for Mudryk to score his first goal in English football when Graham Potter’s struggling Chelsea visits Arsenal at the end of April.

Of course, the Ukraine international will want to get on the scoresheet before then, but Arsenal fans will be hoping he leaves his best performance outside of his side’s trip to the Emirates.

Whilst things are slipping away in the Premier League for Potter’s men, that London derby will have a big effect on the race for the title because April is going to be the defining month in that battle between Arsenal and Manchester City.