Chelsea forward Mykhaylo Mudryk has been criticised for his underwhelming performance for Ukraine against England on Sunday. The winger was substituted off at Wembley in the 61st minute, having failed to make his mark up against Manchester City star Kyle Walker.
Mudryk was signed by Chelsea in the January transfer window for a fee of £89million, though he has struggled to justify his price tag at Stamford Bridge since making the big-money switch. The 22-year-old has shown energy and pace when called upon, though his final product has raised questions and prompted Graham Potter to drop the forward in favour of more proven stars like Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic.
Given that he penned an eight-and-a-half-year deal with the Blues, Mudryk is expected to be given an abundance of patience. However, the former Shakhtar Donetsk star failed to provide Chelsea fans with a reason to be excited during Ukraine’s 2-0 loss at the hands of England on Sunday.
Manager Ruslan Rotan decided to replace the forward with Girona star Viktor Tsigankov after just over an hour against the Three Lions, prompting widespread mocking. One Blues fan wrote on Twitter: “Mudryk is genuinely woeful, what a waste of money.”
Another added: “All jokes aside, how on earth did Shakhtar get 100m (euros) for Mudryk.” Another asked: “Did Mudryk actually touch the ball without losing it? Absolutely awful from him.”
However, numerous Chelsea fans jumped to the defence of their No 15, protesting that the prospect was signed for such a fee because of how good he could become, rather than already being the finished article.
Ukrainian hero Andriy Shevchenko firmly believes that Mudryk will be a success at his former club, feeling that the player has taken the correct step in joining Chelsea – amid interest from Arsenal in January.
He told the Blues’ club website: “He’s just starting his path in a massive football career. His first step has been the right step, coming to Chelsea. He’s part of an ambitious project. He’s in good hands.
“The decision to get him right now was down to how much the club believe in his talent. He’s on a very long contract, that’s very unusual. Chelsea are investing in their future. The Premier League usually demands results right now, but let’s see how he does in these eight years. Let’s see what he can do in the long term. The club must be patient with him, believe in his talent.”
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