Chelsea flop set for January switch after mega update amid Premier League interest

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk’s future at Stamford Bridge has been cast into further doubt due to a lack of playing time and it could take a huge twist in January.

According to Football Insider, the 23-year-old could leave the club in the next transfer window. He has been an unused substitute in Chelsea‘s last two Premier League games.

New Blues boss Enzo Maresca has been ruthless with a number of players in his large squad since joining from Leicester in the summer, with Raheem Sterling sent to Arsenal on loan and Conor Gallagher departing after he made it clear they weren’t in his plans.

Mudryk faces added competition from the likes of Joao Felix, Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto, who all signed for the club this summer.

Noni Madueke has propelled himself into the forefront of Maresca’s thoughts after a superb start to the season, including a hat-trick in a 6-2 win at Wolves.

Maresca himself has spoken about Mudryk directly, offering some curious remarks as he continues to struggle to force his way into the team.

 “I don’t think it’s a lack of confidence. Misha is Misha,” Maresca said.

“You have to accept the way he is. Hopefully he can get minutes and do better.”

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Offers likely for Mudyrk

Interest in Mudryk is high and sources have told TEAMtalk’s Fraser Gillan that the club are willing to let him leave in January.

Arsenal thought they had won the race to sign him from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, before Chelsea struck with an £89m deal, while Bayern Munich attempted to loan him in January when former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel was in charge.

Sources have also said that a deal to see Mudryk leave Stamford Bridge is “very possible” and Marseille, coached by Roberto de Zerbi who worked with Mudryk at Shakhtar, are monitoring his situation.

However, Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says that Chelsea have resisted a sale so far because they still see him becoming a success at the club.

“Chelsea had the opportunity to sell Mudryk this summer, but Chelsea said no, they keep trusting his potential, but they want to see a development, also with the coaching staff. Mudryk’s performances this season will be important for his future,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.

Osimhen to join Chelsea?

Elsewhere, Chelsea have made fresh contact with Napoli striker Victor Osimhen over a possible January move. The Nigerian striker was frozen out by new Napoli boss Antonio Conte after he signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, and the Blues have been long-term admirers.

Saudi club Al-Ahli and PSG were also heavily linked in the summer, and he is now on loan at Turkish club Galatasataray.

Al-Ahli signed Ivan Toney from Brentford, while PSG seemingly left the race for Osimhen, leaving Chelsea as favourites for his signature on a permanent basis.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have also been credited with an interest in Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, with Nicolas Jackson’s strong start to the season not convincing Blues bosses he is the man to take them forward.

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Mudryk’s woeful efficiency

Mudryk joined Chelsea for an eyebrow-raising fee in January 2023. The Blues paid an initial £62m for his services, offering Shakhtar up to £27m more in bonuses.

It means Mudryk is one of Chelsea’s most expensive recruits of all time, but he has struggled to justify his fee.

When considering Chelsea’s five costliest attacking arrivals in history, Mudryk comes out the worst for his cost per goal. With only seven goals to his name, he has cost £8.86m per goal – and that’s just considering his initial fee, not to mention any add-ons that have activated or even his wages of £100,000 per week.

His efficiency in front of goal has been particularly weak, and with a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2031, Chelsea would be hoping to see some improvements from a player who has struggled to make an impact under various head coaches already.