Mykhailo Mudryk signed for Chelsea in the January of 2023 in a move that demonstrated winning intent from the new ownership.
The Ukrainian built a reputation for himself as a skilful and lightning fast left-winger, with some likening him to Neymar and former Chelsea superstar, Eden Hazard.
Sometimes however, the hype can become too much for young players, and since then, Mudryk hasn’t at all lived up to his potential.
Mauricio Pochettino (last season) seemed to be able to get a tune out of the Ukrainian talent, but much like Mudryk’s neck tattoo suggests, “Talent Aint Enough”.
Some may read this as an assault on Mudryk’s work ethic, but it is not. It has been shown time and time again that the 24year old is a highly dedicated and hard working individual, and so there is no doubt he is putting in the work to improve, however we hadn’t seen the results on the pitch until late 2024, under current Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca.
It is obvious that the managerial conveyer belt model at Chelsea just doesn’t help the team develop as a unit, with new ideas and personalities in charge leaving some players, such as Mudryk, in the dust.
Remember, Mudryk was signed for Graham Potter, who himself, seemingly didn’t live up to expectations. For reference, in the two years since then, Chelsea have cycled through numerous managers: Frank Lampard (again); Mauricio Pochettino, and now the struggling Enzo Maresca
Its not just difficulties on the pitch that have tormented Mudryk during his time at Chelsea however.
In December 2024, he was suspended from football after failing a routine drugs test.
Now awaiting the results of the second test, Mudryk remains in a sporting limbo. Allegedly changes have been made to the star’s contract, but the details have not been released.
Furthermore, it has been revealed today that Mudryk passed a lie detector test regarding his alleged usage of the drug ‘meldonium‘.
This is all up in the air, however, as it is a sensitive case and the investigations have been shrouded in mystery, leaving fans feeling confused and left in the dark.
As more news comes to light, I shall update you all further.
by Cody Deadman
