Shakhtar Donetsk general director, Sergiy Palkin, has publicly criticized Chelsea for their handling of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk. The player, who was signed from Shakhtar for a hefty £88.5m in January 2023, has struggled to make an impact at the Premier League club.
Despite his high-profile transfer and significant price tag, Mudryk has failed to impress at Stamford Bridge. He has scored just seven goals and provided seven assists in 66 appearances for the Blues. His struggle to secure a regular place in the team was further exacerbated by the arrival of Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto and Joao Felix this summer - all of whom are now ahead of him in the pecking order.
The 23-year-old Ukrainian international started only one game this season where he was substituted at half-time during Chelsea's 6-2 win against Wolves. In a recent setback, he was left out of Chelsea matchday squad that faced Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday - a match that ended with a disappointing 2-1 loss for the Blues.
Palkin accuses Chelsea of mismanagement
Palkin accused Chelsea of not having an effective plan for integrating Mudryk into their team setup. He likened his situation to owning a Ferrari but not knowing how to drive it – implying that while Mudryk is undoubtedly talented (the "Ferrari"), his skills have been underutilized ("not knowing how to drive it") by his current club.
Shakhtar Donetsk general director, Sergiy Palkin, said:
"You don’t need a Ferrari if you don’t know how to drive it. A normal car will do. If you buy a Ferrari, you should think about how to handle it. That’s my opinion on Mudryk at Chelsea.
"I am sure that he will show his qualities when he gets the chance. He is an absolute difference maker, which can also be seen in his appearances for the Ukrainian national team. There are very few players in this category."
High-profile transfer of Mudryk
Before moving to West London, there had been intense competition between Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea over securing Mudryk’s signature. Despite leading initially in negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk, Arsenal lost out to Chelsea in the end.
In a twist of fate, Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard for £30m from Brighton instead. Interestingly, Trossard missed a penalty in Arsenal's recent Champions League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk. Adding fuel to the fire, fans were surprised to see Mudryk cheering on his former side during their 1-0 loss at Emirates Stadium against Arsenal. The only goal of the match came off an unfortunate deflection from goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk following Gabriel Martinelli’s shot.
The saga surrounding Mykhailo Mudryk serves as a stark reminder that high-profile transfers do not always guarantee success. It remains to be seen how Chelsea will respond to Palkin's criticism and whether they can find a way to better utilize their "Ferrari" in future matches.
