Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.
Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali played a key role in the Blues signing Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk 18 months ago.
Heavily linked at the time with a move to Arsenal, Mudryk, 23, ended up on the blue side of London after Chelsea agreed a deal with Shakhtar worth a staggering £88.5 million.
Despite arriving at Stamford Bridge as one of the club’s most expensive-ever signings, the Ukraine international has failed to live up to expectations.
Widely regarded as the most disappointing big-money signing in recent Premier League history, Mudryk’s confidence has fallen to an all-time low.
Enzo Maresca puts spotlight on ‘inconsistent’ Mykhaylo Mudryk
Manager Enzo Maresca, who succeeded Mauricio Pochettino earlier in the summer, recently spoke about the 23-year-old’s inconsistencies and urged him to improve his final third decision-making.
“Since he joined the club he had some good moments, and then some bad moments,” the Italian told Chelsea FC.
“When he has the ball you don’t know what you are going to get, it’s one thing or the other thing. This is Misha. The moment he becomes more consistent he can take one step forward.
“We are going to try to help him to change. He has to understand we are going to bring him the ball in the last third. When he is there, he has to take the right decision.”
Given Maresca’s assessment, it came as very little surprise to see Mudryk emerge as a transfer target for Marseille. Roberto De Zerbi has a history of praising the Ukrainian winger, believing he has the potential to one day win the prestigious Ballon d’Or.
Winger still has fans high up inside Chelsea
However, while Maresca may be keen to offload his struggling number 10, Eghbali is less inclined to see his star man depart, even if it is just on a temporary basis.
According to talkSPORT, the Iranian-American businessman was the 23-year-old’s biggest advocate and is ‘desperate’ for him ‘to come good’ amid his worrying form struggles.
During Mudryk’s first 22 months at Stamford Bridge he has managed to net just seven goals in 63 appearances.
The winger’s dire numbers mean Chelsea have paid a remarkable £12.6 million-per goal. Truly staggering statistics for a player who was so highly regarded prior to his mammoth transfer at the beginning of last year.
