Mykhailo Mudryk: Chelsea signing will be difficult to stop
Chelsea's statement acquisition of Mykhailo Mudryk is a huge coup for the Blues, who pulled out all the stops to secure the gifted Ukrainian right from under the noses of Arsenal.
Joining for a whopping transfer fee of £88.5 million from Shakhtar Donetsk and signing an eight-and-a-half year contract worth nearly £97,000 a week, it'll be captivating to see how he deals with the pressure and weight of expectation that inherently arises with a deal of this magnitude.
"He’s a young player with a big future,” Graham Potter said, who will relish working with the youngster and will do everything in his power to help him fulfil his enormous potential. “He’s exciting 1v1, direct, attacks the backline, can go in wide areas but also affects the goal. I think our supporters will really like him.”
Having enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years and currently in exceptional form, which has seen him bag 10 goals and eight assists in his last 18 matches in the league and Champions League for Shakhtar, Mudryk will be eager to hit the ground running.
Mudryk is difficult to stop
Explosive, unpredictable, technical and an absolute nightmare for defenders to deal with in full flight, he'll certainly add another dimension to Chelsea's efforts in the final third from his left wing post.
Boasting blistering pace and searing acceleration, this, in combination with his elite ball control, skills and first touch, ensures he's such a difficult man to stop. Capable of beating players through his sheer speed, shrewd alterations in pace, electric change of direction, wicked feints and shimmies and razor sharp turns, he has a handy repertoire of manoeuvres to outfox foes.
Executing his moves at such blistering speed, this means defenders often can't react quickly enough even if they read his intentions, thus amplifying his menace in 1v1s and ability to win fouls in ideal locations.
Two footed, strong, supremely balanced, full of flair and so good at drawing multiple opponents to subsequently create space for colleagues, there's unquestionably a lot to like about his ball carrying.
While he can be a tad overzealous at times on the ball and loses it quite often due to the nature of his game that sees him relish being isolated with foes and believe that he can relentlessly beat opponents, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
His invention, variety and quality with the ball at his feet also transfers over to his passing, for he's very handy at creating chances for teammates. Quick to spot runners and notice when teammates are in advantageous positions to receive, this is another important string to his bow.
Be it launching wicked crosses and cutbacks, tantalising set-pieces, calculated through balls in behind (on the ground and in the air), line breaking passes and combining smartly in close quarters, he holds his own in this area.
A serious goal threat
Shifting the focus to his ever-improving finishing, and he's growing into a very adept contributor here when in range even if he still takes some erratic and wild shots.
Able to score with venomous power from distance or in close, using slick placement, when 1v1 with the keeper, with his aptitude from free-kicks, through penalties and with either foot, this heightens his threat.
Positional awareness excellent
Crafty with his movement and positioning, plus alert to vacant spaces within defensive shapes, Mudryk's a menace when receiving wide when hugging the touchline and when venturing infield. So dangerous when he can enjoy time and space or gain separation from markers, he's nigh on impossible to stop once he gets going.
As can be seen in the graphics below, how he astutely times his drops between the lines to avoid detection, uses teammates as decoys and wisely times and directs his runs in behind, down the channels and into the box enables him to take up quality positions to be an outlet.
The way he interchanges with colleagues to ask further questions, place doubt in the minds of defenders and alter reference points so he can occupy more dangerous infield zones duly adds to his nuisance.
Expect the man who's already worked with some tactically sophisticated coaches like Paulo Fonseca and Roberto De Zerbi to keep developing his craft in this area further under the guidance of Potter as well.
How does Mudryk compare to leagues best?
By the numbers, even though the level of the Ukrainian league is far lower level than the EPL, the stats still give a decent indication of his strengths when compared with Gabriel Martinelli, Luis Diaz and Raheem Sterling, with him notably holding the ascendancy in terms of goals per 90, xG/90, xA/90, dribbles/90, progressive runs/90, shots/90, assists/90 and progressive passes/90.
Fleet of foot, fast of mind, a massive offensive weapon and with still so much scope for improvement, it'll be intriguing tracking the uniquely skilled Mudryk's progress and seeing how he fares after he's been afforded adequate time to adapt to his new team, the league and life in London.
Undoubtedly one of the most exciting young players in Europe and set for a tremendous future if all goes to plan, it definitely won't be easy for him to stamp his mark at the ultra competitive and often unstable confines at Chelsea, though, where managerial sackings and personnel changes are a regular occurrence.
Blessed with all the talent to be a success to eventually take the league by storm, the challenge ahead for him will now be proving himself and living up to the hype that naturally arises with his astronomical price tag, which will make for unmissable viewing.
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