"Maybe he’d be doing the same sorts of numbers Trossard is" - Pundit believes Chelsea star would have been a better fit at Arsenal
Football pundit Scott Minto believes that Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk would have been a better fit at Arsenal than he is in Mauricio Pochettino's squad.
Arsenal were long-term suitors for the 23-year-old when he was emerging as a world-class talent at Shakhtar Donetsk. However, Chelsea poached him in January 2023, paying a mammoth £88 million transfer fee for his services.
Since then, Mudryk has been greatly underwhelming, failing to live up to his price tag. He has just six goals and four assists to his name in 53 games for the Blues across all competitions.
Arsenal moved to sign experienced Belgian forward Leandro Trossard from Brighton and Hove Albion. Trossard has scored in many clutch moments and chipped in with important goals, having bagged 16 goals and 12 assists in 64 games for the Gunners.
Speaking on the Premier League All Access Podcast, Minto suggested that it would have been better for the Ukrainian to join the Gunners instead of the Blues. Comparing the winger to Trossard, he said:
“The only thing I would say to that is that if Mykhaylo Mudryk had gone into Arsenal he’d have been going into great conditions, a great environment and maybe he’d be doing the same sorts of numbers [Leandro] Trossard is."
At just 23 years of age, time is on Mudryk's side. He has still shown flashes of brilliance from time to time, showcasing why Chelsea paid the big bucks for him.
It will be really interesting to see how the Ukrainian's career at Stamford Bridge pans out.
Former Premier League star William Gallas thinks Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk 'could help Arsenal win the title'
Former Chelsea and Arsenal star William Gallas thinks that the addition of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk to the Gunners' squad could help them win the Premier League.
It is known that Mikel Arteta is an admirer of the winger, and it is also reported that the Spaniard is keen on bringing in a new winger in the upcoming transfer window.
In a recent interview, Gallas claimed (via FourFourTwo):
“I know that Emmanuel Petit spoke about Mudryk potentially joining Arsenal... Mudryk could be a good fit, with his speed and quality and that’s why Arteta likes him. Before he signed for Chelsea, Arsenal nearly signed him but he changed his mind and you cannot forget that. I said before that Arsenal will win the title next year, not this year, and if they sign Mudryk that could help them.”
Mudryk's staggering contract with Chelsea lasts till 2031, which means that the Blues hold the cards when it comes to a potential transfer deal. However, financial fair-play issues could force their hand into selling a large chunk of their squad in the summer transfer window.
With Mudryk unsettled at the club, and Arteta willing to bring him into the Arsenal squad, a move to the Emirates could be on the cards for the Ukrainian.