Former Blue Andriy Shevchenko has urged Chelsea to be patient with talented young winger Mykhailo Mudryk following the underwhelming start to his career at Stamford Bridge.
Despite his impressive debut as a substitute against Liverpool in January, Mudryk has yet to establish himself as a regular starter under Graham Potter.
This is quite a surprise for a player who reportedly could cost Chelsea up to £88.5m, including add-ons.
The 22-year-old registered an assist, his first direct goal contribution for Chelsea, in the win over Leicester City earlier this month, but he has so far had just four starts in all competitions for the club.
Shevchenko, however, insisted that Chelsea should continue to believe in what they paid for in the first place; the winger’s high potential.
“Chelsea have bought a talented player when he is very young, for the future,” the 2004 Ballon d’Or winner told The Athletic when speaking about Mudryk.
“He’s just starting his path in a massive football career. But his first step has been the right step, coming to Chelsea.
“He’s part of an ambitious project. He’s in good hands.
“The decision to get him right now was down to how much the club believe in his talent.
“He’s on a very long contract, that’s very unusual. Chelsea are investing in their future.
“The Premier League usually demands results right now, but let’s see how he does in these eight years.
“Let’s see what he can do in the long term. The club must be patient with him, believe in his talent.”
Chelsea’s reverting to a back-three formation also played a big part in Mudryk’s limited game time, since there are only three attacking spots in the team in this formation with Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling, and Joao Felix being Graham Potter’s first-choice front-three.
Mudryk, who thrived as a left winger in Shakhtar Donetsk’s 4-1-4-1 formation, clearly prefers to operate wide, and it remains to be see how well he can adapt to playing more centrally in a 3-4-3.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
