Chelsea extend long-term contracts of two stars who cost a joint £167m: Reports
Chelsea have reportedly opted to trigger the one-year extensions in Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk's contracts.
Standard Sport (via Football 365) reports that Fernandez's contract, worth £180,000 per week, has been extended from 2031 to 2032. Mudryk's £97,000 per week deal has moved from 2030 to 2031. The duo have been first-team regulars since arriving in big-money moves in January 2023.
Fernandez, 23, joined Chelsea for a then-British transfer record £107 million from Liga Portugal side Benfica. He arrived fresh off a stellar 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign where he won the Young Player of the Tournament award.
The Argentine midfielder has appeared 38 times across competitions this season, registering seven goals and three assists. He's formed a new midfield partnership with Conor Gallagher and Moises Caicedo.
Mudryk, 23, headed to Stamford Bridge from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk for an initial £60 million. He was seemingly on Arsenal's radar but the Blues hijacked their London rivals' pursuit.
The Ukraine international has struggled to cement himself as a regular starter under Mauricio Pochettino. He's started 16 of 33 games across competitions, managing six goals and two assists.
Chelsea need to be cautious with their spending as their wage bill reportedly sits at £404 million, per The Times. It's the second largest in the Premier League, only behind treble winners Manchester City.
The club's co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali handed several of their big-money signings long-term deals to help write off the cost of transfer fees. Their rebuild has momentarily resulted in a youthful west Londoners side sitting ninth in the league.
Mauricio Pochettino urged patience with Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk who has 'massive potential'
Mykhailo Mudryk had a ton of expectations placed on him when he arrived in January 2023. The Ukrainian had caught the eye with excellent performances in his homeland, posting 12 goals and 17 assists in 44 games for Shakhtar.
However, Mudryk has struggled to reach the heights many anticipated and has taken his time to adapt to Premier League football. He took nine months to score his first goal for Chelsea.
Pochettino suggested Mudryk was aware he needed to improve when speaking in December. The Argentine coach said (via the club's official website):
"He knows he needs to keep improving. He’s still young and he is going to improve, because he has the quality. He’s a player that in his evolution is doing really well and we are so happy... He’s already an important player but he’s going to improve a lot because the potential is massive."
Mudryk is vying with Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, and Cole Palmer for a starting berth in Pochettino's side. He boasts electric pace and fine dribbling skills but areas of improvement perhaps stem from his end product.