Mauricio Pochettino, the Chelsea manager, has noted that Mykhailo Mudryk is actively striving to acclimate to life in England and unlock his full potential as an exceptional player, even following a less than stellar beginning to his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his belief that Mykhailo Mudryk is working diligently to adapt to life in England and unlock his potential as a “unique” player, despite a somewhat underwhelming start to his career at Stamford Bridge.
Mudryk, the Ukrainian forward, made the move from Shakhtar Donetsk in January for a transfer fee that could reach £88 million.
However, he has experienced irregular appearances in the starting lineup under successive managers and has yet to notch his first goal for the Blues.
His arrival in England came after a period of limited playing time due to the Ukrainian domestic league’s suspension during the war, and when Chelsea acquired him, he had only amassed 44 professional appearances with Shakhtar.
This marks the 22-year-old’s first experience living outside of Ukraine, and Pochettino has emphasized the time young players, especially, need to acclimate to a new culture when relocating abroad.
Mudryk has been included in Chelsea’s starting lineup for their last three games, demonstrating glimpses of promise in short bursts, including the early signs of a burgeoning on-field partnership with the new striker, Nicolas Jackson.
Pochettino commended Mudryk for the effort he is putting into integrating into the team while he patiently waits for his high-priced squad to develop better cohesion.
“The life of these guys, when they are so young, (it) changed,” said the manager, whose squad with an average age of just over 23 is the youngest in the Premier League this season.
“You pay big money, big change form where they came. Also it’s not about to arrive and to perform when you are young.
“It’s about to adapt, it’s about to help them to settle. Then the most difficult thing is to understand what these guys need to settle and to feel comfortable and to express their talent.
“If you ask me about Misha, he’s a very talented player of course, but you need to go with him very slowly. Cultural and everything is completely different to Latin people, from different countries or part of the world.
“He’s now trying to be more open, to adapt and be more involved in every situation, not only on the field but outside also. I think he’s doing a massive effort to try to integrate himself and to understand better what it means to play like a team.
“He’s unique. I can’t find a player to say he is similar, I can’t remember one. It’s a good challenge for him, and it’s a good challenge for us.”
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