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How much would Moises Caicedo improve Chelsea? (0:32)
Marc Cucarella feels Moises Caicedo would be a good addition for Chelsea in the long run after reports of the Brighton player being linked with Chelsea. (0:32)
James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FCJul 24, 2023, 07:00 AM ET
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James Olley is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @JamesOlley.
Mykhailo Mudryk has said he has only shown “20%” of his potential in a Chelsea shirt and is relishing the prospect of reaching his best form under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
The 21-year-old joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January for a fee that could reach €100 million ($110.7m) but has so far registered just two assists and failed to score a single goal in 17 competitive appearances for the club.
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However, Mudryk found the net in his first preseason outing on Chelsea’s tour of the United States, combining superbly with new signing Nicolas Jackson to fire home in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Brighton in Philadelphia.
Asked to reflect on his performance at Lincoln Financial Field, Mudryk said: “I feel happy for all the work I put into this goal.
“It is not all my potential. It is only 20%. I feel good because playing under Pochettino, our manager, it is nice, it is enjoyable and it is a new team which is also enjoyable.”
Mudryk went on to describe his first six months at Chelsea as a “learning period” in which the key lesson was to have “patience”, although his slow start has attracted some criticism given the size of the fee involved.
Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin told ESPN in June that he was confident Mudryk would improve under Pochettino, claiming that Mudryk “is a major weapon for Chelsea to win future titles. When the new coach arrives and sees Mudryk, pays attention to Mudryk, I believe 100% he will give the full fee back and show unbelievable football.”
