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Mykhailo Mudryk is closing in on a return to action at Tottenham Hotspur, with Chelsea fans eager to see how he gets on during his loan at Spurs. Denis Zakaria has given some insight.
Back in the summer, Mudryk was finally relieved of his doping suspension to the delight of his Chelsea teammates. It saw him join Xabi Alonso’s squad on the tour of Australia and Asia, getting some minutes.
But Chelsea decided that a loan was required before he played competitively for Chelsea again, and the winger moved to Spurs alongside Tosin Adarabioyo. After making his debut, he suffered an ankle injury.
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Denis Zakaria delivers honest response about Mykhailo Mudryk
As things stand, Mudryk has been a colossal waste of money for Chelsea. An £89m arrival, including add-ons, he has only managed to score 10 goals in 73 appearances for the club, before being suspended.
But there is clearly a talent in Mudryk, with Chelsea only willing to include a £75m clause in his Spurs loan – an option that is unlikely to be activated, even if he has reunited with his old boss Roberto De Zerbi.
MIKEL IS RIGHT: Mudryk needs a loan, but which club suits him best? 🤔 Misha wants to join a Premier League club.
Agree... My point was he should be loaned to a club in the prem league
Needs to play competitive football and it’s not worked out for him yet. Get away from the attention of the prem for a bit of a fresh start before coming back
Well only Connor, Mudryk would be on loan
Speaking to Zack En Roue Libre, Mudryk’s old Chelsea teammate Denis Zakaria was asked about Mudryk and gave a very honest reply. He underlined Mudryk’s quality, but suggested Chelsea spent too much.
“He was impressive, I won’t lie. He really was. Whether he was worth that much money, I’m not sure. But in terms of quality, he had it. He was incredibly quick and had an unbelievable shot,” Zakaria explained.
“And, you know, he was young. You could see he still needed to develop his football intelligence, but otherwise he was a real talent. A fantastic player,” Zakaria continued, heaping praise on the Spurs loanee.
Where does Mudryk’s long-term future lie right now?
Given his injury and his lack of impact at Spurs two months into the Premier League campaign, the chances are that Mudryk won’t be joining Spurs for the permanent clause in his current loan contract.
Spurs may opt to renegotiate a fee with Chelsea. He currently has a contract at Chelsea until June 2031, having penned an eight-and-a-half-year deal. His arrival came before the league’s five-year restriction.
If Chelsea are going to break even on Mudryk next summer, they would need to sell Mudryk for around £42m – if his add-ons have been met. Chelsea paid £62m up front, and £27m more in add-ons.
Given Mudryk is yet to prove himself, the chances of Chelsea getting a solid fee like that remain unlikely. With Mudryk boasting plenty of time left on his contract, there is no pressure to sell straight away.