Chelsea are languishing down in tenth place in the Premier League after wayward form and detrimental injuries have hampered their season, and reinforcements are needed…
What’s the word?
Arsenal have been the favourites to sign Shakhtar Donetsk flanker Mykhaylo Mudryk this season, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently confirming news that the Ukrainian giants’ director Darijo Srna was in England to discuss avenues with both the Gunners and Chelsea.
And now, according to The Guardian, Blues boss Graham Potter is ‘hopeful’ that a deal can be forged in the coming weeks, with Stamford Bridge in dire need of a saving grace to steer them away from mid-table obscurity and back towards the peak of the Premier League mountain.
Mudryk is one of the hottest talents on the pitch right now, but with Shakhtar rejecting Arsenal’s first two transfer bids for their phenom’s services, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that a mammoth move is needed to pull him away from his outfit this January.
He's a “special talent”
Since emerging into prominence last season, the 22-year-old Mudryk has since been burgeoning into his own, now a wily winger capable of devastating any defence erected in front of him.
His ten goals and eight assists from just 18 appearances this season certainly take the highlight reel, but his marvellous blend of breezing runs and direct take-ons against his opponents have raised eyebrows in adulation, with his style deemed perfect to flourish on English soil with a title-challenging club.
And with five direct contributions in this year’s Champions League edition - including two strikes against Celtic - his influence is expanding by the match.
Complementing his dazzling goal record, FBref ranks the “baller”, as lauded by Sacha Pisani, within the top 3% for attacking midfielders and wingers for dribbles completed, the top 7% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 8% for progressive passes received.
This indicates that his prolific displays are no fluke; with onus on laughing up the pitch and getting into dangerous positions with regularity, Mudryk is a consistent threat in and around the box, a thorn piercing his enemy’s sides with his multi-faceted blend of striking and creativity.
His blossoming abilities on the pitch would be bolstered further if the Blues' technical director Christopher Vivell succeeds in the pursuit of fellow January target Enzo Fernandez, who has been at the centre of intense transfer speculation regarding a move to west London.
Crowned the Best Young Player at the 2022 World Cup, Fernandez recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.10 in Qatar, completing 89% of his passes and making 0.9 key chances per match as he clinched world glory with Argentina.
His assurance as the engine in the middle, and eye for instigating a promising forward transition, would serve Mudryk well indeed, and with both players tending to occupy the left side of the pitch, the partnership could thread together without seam.
While Donetsk are reportedly holding out for £85m, persistence in negotiations might persuade the club to cash in on their player for a lucrative fee, and Chelsea boast the affluence to complete such a deal.
Last year, presenter Joe Flemons hailed the ace as a “very special talent”, and it’s abundantly clear that he is indeed a prodigy capable of ascending to the very top of the game, and Chelsea would be an excellent stomping ground to nurture his skill-set.