Mykhaylo Mudryk’s Chelsea debut will leave Arsenal fans rueing one who got away – Rio Ferdinand
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Updated 21/01/2023 at 16:09 GMT
Chelsea debutant Mykhaylo Mudryk provided some spark from the bench in an otherwise drab 0-0 draw with Liverpool on Saturday. The Ukraine international's performance earned high praise from Rio Ferdinand, who believes Arsenal fans will be tearing their hair out at the Gunners' failure to get a deal done for the winger. Arsenal were in talks with Mudryk until a late swoop from Chelsea.
Potter looks ahead to Liverpool with boost of new signing Mudryk
Rio Ferdinand thinks Arsenal fans will be wondering how the Gunners let Mykhaylo Mudryk get away after the Ukrainian winger showcased ‘frightening’ talent on his Chelsea debut.
Mudryk was close to joining Arsenal until Chelsea swooped in to sign the forward from Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this week in a deal reportedly worth £88.5 million.
The 22-year-old came on in the second half of Chelsea’s 0-0 draw away to Liverpool on Saturday, adding some excitement to an otherwise drab affair with glimpses of his attacking quality.
Mudryk’s impact at Anfield impressed former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.
"We’ve all seen clips of his explosive pace, but I saw soft feet there as well, somebody who has got a good weight of pass, good decision making in the final third, a calmness when running at speed,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
"Those elements make him a frightening proposition for a full-back when he gets into full flow.
“This is only his first minutes in a month or so, so who knows what he’s going to be producing after this.
“But it’s an exciting moment for Chelsea fans and I’m sure there will be Arsenal fans sitting there going: ‘Oh my days, how did we let that one go?’”
Mudryk’s next chance to show what he can do for his new club will come on Friday 3 February, when Graham Potter’s side host Fulham in the Premier League.
The Ukrainian's debut also earned words of encouragement from his manager after the game.
“He’s not played football for a while, he’s been on a mid-season break, so we had to manage his minutes and he’s still in that phase,” Potter said.
“But I think you could see his quality, he had a good impact on the game.”
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