Chelsea ready to sell Mykhailo Mudryk and 3 first-team players in January - Reports
Chelsea are preparing to offload Mykhailo Mudryk and three other players in the winter transfer window (via TEAMtalk). The west London club parted ways with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Conor Gallagher, Ian Maatsen, and Omari Hutchinson to generate £147 million this summer - the most by any European club.
Mudryk joined the Blues from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for a reported £88.5 million transfer fee but has struggled to get going in England. In 62 games across competitions for Chelsea, the Ukrainian winger has recorded just seven goals and five assists, struggling to justify his hefty price tag.
Even under new boss Enzo Maresca, the 23-year-old hasn't found his mojo, leaving him desperate to try his luck elsewhere.
Several clubs across Europe are interested in Mudryk, with Bayern Munich even pushing to sign him on loan in January 2024. But the interest has reportedly diminished since Thomas Tuchel was replaced by Vincent Kompany as the club's new manager this summer.
Chelsea are also looking to offload fringe players like Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, and Ben Chilwell, provided appropriate suitors arrive in the winter transfer window.
Disasi and Badiashile joined Chelsea from Monaco in 2023. The two have been used as backup defenders by Maresca, who has mostly opted for the services of Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana in the backline.
Chilwell, meanwhile, came to Stamford Bridge from Leicester City in the summer of 2020. Despite initially being a crucial player, the left-back has fallen down the pecking order.
In the 2023-24 season, the Englishman made just 21 appearances for Chelsea across competitions, registering a solitary assist.
French side Olympique Marseille targeting Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk
According to a report by TEAMtalk, Olympique Marseille are interested in signing Mykhailo Mudryk in the winter transfer window. The report also states coach Roberto De Zerbi is excited by the Ukrainian's potential and believes he can extract the best out of the Chelsea man.
Marseille have already brought in the likes of Mason Greenwood, Elye Wahi, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (loan), and Neal Maupay (loan) to build a squad capable of beating rivals Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Ligue 1 this season. De Zerbi's side are currently second on the league table with 10 points (three wins and a draw), two behind PSG (12).
A loan move seems like the likeliest outcome for Mudryk as clubs generally aren't keen on splurging big in the winter transfer window. A successful loan spell for Mudryk could also raise his valuation, enabling Chelsea to recoup the £88.5 million transfer fee they paid for him.