“Getting tired of him” – Enzo Maresca to sell sell £100k-p/w flop who Boehly thought was “hugely exciting”
After taking over Chelsea in May 2022, Todd Boehly has undoubtedly spent a small fortune there. The American has spent an incredible £1.2 billion trying to lead the team back to the Premier League’s top spot.
After Mauricio Pochettino left at the end of the 2023–24 season, he brought in Italian Enzo Maresca as the most recent manager to try to steer the team in the correct path.
With 11 wins in his first 18 games as manager, the 44-year-old has had an instant impact at Stamford Bridge. He has guided the team to third position in the league, one point behind Manchester City, who have won the division for the past four years.
Maresca has a hugely talented squad at his disposal, undoubtedly aiding his task at the helm, with numerous players already producing some impressive numbers in recent weeks.
The player who Maresca needs to offload
Winger Mykhailo Mudryk arrived in West London for a huge £88.5m transfer fee during January 2023, beating rivals Arsenal for the signature of the Ukrainian.
Upon his move to the Bridge, the 23-year-old was dubbed as a “hugely exciting talent” on the day he signed by owner Boehly, but nearly two years on, he’s yet to show why they forked out such a hefty fee for his signature.
“We are delighted to welcome Mykhailo to Chelsea. He’s a hugely exciting talent who we believe will be a terrific addition to our squad both now and in the years to come. He will add further depth to our attack and we know he’ll get a very warm welcome to London.”
Mudryk, who earns £100k-per-week, has made 72 appearances in the Blue of Chelsea, scoring just nine times – an average of once every eight games he’s featured in – a below-par record for such a big-money signing.
Many have argued his corner, claiming he needs time to settle into life in the Premier League, but his record of seven league outings this season without a goal and an assist could prove he’s no longer at the level needed for Maresca.
The Italian also has the likes of Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, João Félix and the aforementioned Palmer ahead of the former Shakhtar Donetsk ace in the pecking order. That’s not to forget the likes of Estevao and Kendry Paez – fellow forwards – who could also occupy a role ahead of Mudryk when they arrive.
Undoubtedly, the Blues could be set to lose a huge portion of their investment if they were to permanently part ways with the youngster in January.
The best course of action could be to loan the attacker out until the end of the campaign to a lower-end top division English side and reevaluate his situation in the summer.
It’s a huge disappointment to see such a promising player fail to deliver, with Chelsea undoubtedly wasting a huge amount of money in the deal to sign Mudryk nearly two years ago. Whether it’s now or in the summer; selling him is ultimately something they will have to do eventually.