Each day we pick out a player and cut through the noise to give analytical, objective insight. Mykhaylo Mudryk is in focus on Friday.
Mykhaylo Mudryk
- Age: 22
- Position: Forward
- Club: Shakhtar Donetsk
- Country: Ukraine
Mykhaylo Mudryk has been a name of interest to Premier League fans across the past few months, and the focus remains on the forward as we enter January.
Coming through Shakhtar Donetsk's youth academy - with spells at Metalist Kharkiv and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk before it - Mudryk made his debut in October 2018 at the age of 17, and has gone from strength-to-strength in the Ukrainian top-flight since.
The current campaign sees him boast seven goals and six assists in 12 league contests, with a hugely impressive total of five goal involvements in six Champions League outings.
His European showings have seen an average of 0.24 xG/95, with his expected assists (xA) averaging out at 0.15. That's 0.39 expected goal involvements (xGI) per 95 minutes despite featuring for a side who could be considered outsiders in their group.
For reference, Chelsea's Raheem Sterling saw a much lower 0.10 xG/95 and 0.13 xA/95 across the group stage, with Kai Havertz having 0.28 xG/95 and 0.16 xA/95 across appearances out wide and centrally.
A total of 44 appearances across all competitions for Shakhtar have delivered 12 goals and 17 assists - with the current campaign seeing a huge step-up in productivity compared the 21/22.
Ukrainian Premier League and Champions League games have seen ten struck and eight helpers so far this season, with just the two goals and seven assists in the last campaign - crucially, none of those came in European competition.
Sitting in the 97th percentile of players for dribbles completed, per FBRef, outlines his close ball control, quick pace and one-on-one ability - another eye-catching characteristic to go alongside the actual production.
There's a step up in quality when it comes to the Premier League, but Mudryk's Champions League showings offer plenty of encouragement.
