"He's been awful" - Shaka Hislop names Chelsea star as flop of the year
Former West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has named Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk as the Premier League's flop of the year.
The Ukraine international arrived at Stamford Bridge in January for a fee rising to €100 million with add-ons. He made an explosive debut as a substitute in the goalless league draw against Liverpool in January where he constantly troubled the Reds' defense with his pace and trickery.
Gary Neville was one of the many onlookers who were impressed by his performance against Liverpool. Since then, however, Mudryk has failed to gain a foothold in Graham Potter's starting XI.
The 22-year-old's seven appearances across competitions for the Blues have amounted to just 333 minutes of action. Hislop, who represented Trinidad and Tobago 26 times at the international level, was asked to name his Premier League flop of the year.
The pundit told ESPN (h/t The Chelsea Chronicle):
"Because he’s (Mudryk) been awful. He cost 100 million and you can’t get in the starting line-up."
Hislop's judgment of Mudryk could be considered premature by some. He is still getting to grips with the Premier League and could be taking time to adjust to Chelsea's tactics. He has pace to burn and a dribbling style that mimics that of Eden Hazard during his prime playing years.
There is a lot of potential in the former Shakhtar Donetsk winger, which he can unfurl under the right manager. Chelsea paid a fortune to bring him to Stamford Bridge with a long-term picture in mind and would not be discouraged if he didn't hit the ground running straight away.
Mudryk's contract with the West London giants doesn't expire until the summer of 2031.
Chelsea star Mykhaylo Mudryk failed to impress for Ukraine vs England
Mykhaylo Mudryk started down the left flank for Ukraine in their 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifier loss against England on March 26.
Alongside Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mudryk is one of Ukraine's most important players who is expected to make things happen for his team in the attacking third. However, he was underwhelming against the Three Lions and was substituted in the 61st minute.
Mudryk managed to complete just 14 passes during the game and failed to get any shots on target. He was also dispossessed five times and completed just one dribble in attack.
The Three Lions boast one of the strongest teams in world football with immense depth. The quality of the hosts could have proven to be too much for Ukraine to deal with.
Mudryk, nevertheless, will hope to score his first goal in 2023 as soon as possible. The longer he fails to find the net, the more pressure he will be under from fans and media alike.