Ex-Arsenal favourite backs Mykhaylo Mudryk to come good at Chelsea one year after snubbing Gunners

Today marks one year to the day that Chelsea signed Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth £88.5million.

After a much protracted transfer chase from London rivals Arsenal, it was the Blues who emerged victorious in the race to sign the highly rated winger.

But it is safe to say things haven’t gone as smoothly as either party would have liked in his first year in the Premier League, given the finances involved in the deal to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Mudryk has four goals and four assists to his name during his first year in West London and it took him until October to find the net for the first time.

The 23-year-old has come under his fair share of criticism but that can also be caveated by the fact he has worked with three different managers during his first year in a new league.

But, under Mauricio Pochettino, there have been shoots of hope that he can rediscover the form that convinced Chelsea to spend so heavily on him 12 months ago.

A vital stoppage time equaliser helped Chelsea beat Newcastle on penalties in the Carabao Cup quarter-final and the Blues are 90 minutes away from a cup final as a result.

Crucial goals against Arsenal and Crystal Palace, as well as an assist in the win over Brighton & Hove Albion have further strengthened his credentials and the challenge now is for the Ukraine international to perform on a regular basis.

Ex-Arsenal favourite backs Mudryk to ‘fulfil promise’

Certainly that is something former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna believes he can do, backing Mudryk to ‘fulfil his promise’ in the Premier League.

“I expect Mudryk to fulfil the promise he has at Chelsea and develop into a world-class player,” Sagna told Lord Ping. “For me, he is already a top, top player.

“He joined the club when there were a lot of problems. There was a lot of negative energy at Chelsea and the players were suffering from a lack of confidence.

“It’s not easy for a young player to come to a new club in a new country and perform straight away. It is even more difficult to do that when you join a club for a huge amount of money. People expect players that cost £100 million to win games on their own, but football doesn’t work like that.

“He joined a team that had no confidence. It would be unrealistic for people to think that he would be Chelsea’s saviour. Football is a vibe, and you need all of your players to be in a good place to get the best out of them.

“I think Mudryk’s performances are getting better. He is starting to adapt to the league and is improving with every game. He needs time to develop but he has shown some encouraging signs this season.”