"He’s that type of player" - Gus Poyet believes Chelsea new boy will be the player to fill Eden Hazard's vacant boots at the club
While Mykhaylo Mudryk is yet to find his feet at Chelsea since his £89 million January move from Shakhtar Donetsk, former Blues midfielder Gus Poyet compared him to Eden Hazard. The Blues snatched Mudryk away from Arsenal and expectations from him were high from the get go.
However, after a promising debut cameo against Liverpool on January 21, Mudryk's performances have faded. He has managed only one assist in nine games for the west London club so far. Gus Poyet, however, is seemingly a believer in the player as he compared him to former Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard.
Poyet told The Evening Standard:
"Explosive, direct, very, very quick. He’s the type of player that needs to make a difference. The job Mudryk will have in the future is what Eden Hazard did at Chelsea — he’s that type of player and the potential is there. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, you don’t sign that quantity of players in January. That was the biggest surprise for me."
The 55-year-old added:
“If we analyse the players they bought, there is definitely a plan. They are players that have been signed for the future. The new message is patience.”
Hazard became one of the best players in the world during his time at Stamford Bridge. He scored 110 goals and provided 92 assists in 352 matches for Chelsea before his move to Real Madrid in 2019.
"Playing for Chelsea you always want to win" - Ruben Loftus-Cheek ahead of Chelsea's clash against Liverpool
Ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash against Liverpool, midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek discussed the switch in mentality that takes place ahead of a game against a big side.
The 27-year-old said ahead of the game (via the Blues' official website):
"It’s big, they’re a huge club, I think playing for Chelsea you always want to win, but when you’re playing against other big teams you feel like they’re your rival and you’ve always got this extra ambition, that little switch in mentality that you’re ready to bring your best physically and mentally. You always want to get the edge over them, the bragging rights, and of course three points."
The Blues are currently in a goalless stalemate at half-time against Liverpool in their Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.