- Blues paid big to land Mudryk from Shakhtar
- Criticised for slow start in Premier League
- Shakhtar CEO calls for patience with the speedster
WHAT HAPPENED? The Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Serhii Palkin, has stated Chelsea have a 'diamond' in the rough in Mykhailo Mudryk, and that he has no doubts the Ukraine international will be huge hit at Stamford Bridge...but that the club have to show patience with the winger.
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WHAT THEY SAID: Palkin said to Sky Sports: "I met Mudryk one week ago in England and he is very happy. He wants to work hard and show his best.
"I talked to the sporting director and owners of Chelsea and said: ‘you’ve got a real diamond you know, but you should be very, very patient. Give this guy a little bit of time and he will show what sort of football he will bring to your club’.
"I know, 100 percent, he will participate in many, many trophies for Chelsea in the future. This is a very unique boy, with unbelievable technical characteristics. In twenty years I’ve seen a lot of different players. This one, from a professional point of view and how hard he works, I’ve never seen in my life."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mudryk has made an underwhelming start to career at Stamford Bridge since signing for £88.5million from Shakhtar Donetsk in January. Of course, some fickle-minded fans have already given up on him, labelling him the worst-ever Premier League buy on social media, but he surely deserves more time to establish himself.
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Given the context, circumstances, and fee involved in Mudryk's arrival at Chelsea, it was perhaps inevitable that he required time to show his best in West London.
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Getty Images Getty Images Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW? Chelsea's new interim boss Frank Lampard tried to sign Mudryk last summer, during his Everton tenure, and the Toffees submitted a £26 million offer, only for it to be rebuffed by Shakhtar Donetsk.
After an astonishing turn of events at Stamford Bridge in the last few days or so, which saw the former Chelsea legend take over as caretaker manager, he will finally have the chance to work with Mudryk.
WHAT NEXT FOR MUDRYK AND CHELSEA? Chelsea are struggling, with little chance of securing Champions League football for next season and a manager search now to undertake.
However, Lampard's re-introduction in the Blues dugout may lift the mood in the camp ahead of Saturday's visit to Wolves.
Meanwhile, Mudryk will surely hope to make a strong impression this weekend, and with Real Madrid upcoming in the Champions League, should have ample opportunity to endear himself to Chelsea fans.