Chelsea warming to humbling January exit for mega-money flop; one club ready to pounce

According to rumors, Chelsea is’more likely’ to loan mega-money winger Mykhailo Mudryk out in January, and one club that isn’t afraid to take a risk in the transfer market is considering a move.

In the winter window of 2023, Chelsea spent an initial £62 million to buy Mudryk, beating out Arsenal. Pending add-ons, the deal’s total cost might exceed £89 million.

Mudryk has yet to make an impression in England, behind summer acquisitions Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto in the pecking order. Manager Enzo Maresca also favours Noni Madueke, while Cole Palmer is a first-choice forward.

TEAMtalk exclusively disclosed in September that Chelsea were considering loaning Mudryk out during the next January transfer window.

A new update from Give Me Sport has echoed our allegation while also indicating that the Blues are firming up their plans. Indeed, GMS reported that ‘the odds of the Ukrainian leaving the club on loan during the winter window to regain his form are becoming more realistic.’

According to the article, Chelsea wants Mudryk to improve his game and recapture the sort of form that drew them to recruit the winger in the first place.

That would result in Mudryk returning to Stamford Bridge and becoming a viable option for Maresca ahead of the 2025/26 season. The idea is not to sell Mudryk once the possible financing is completed. Mudryk’s contract with the Blues runs until 2031.

Marseille is examining Mykhailo Mudryk’s loan proposal.
Marseille, according to TEAMtalk, has expressed a strong interest in recruiting Mudryk on loan.

The Ligue 1 club, headed by Roberto De Zerbi, has been known to take risks in the transfer market recently.

Marseille signed free agent Adrien Rabiot last month, although the majority of their more traditional summer recruits came from the Premier League or Championship. Mason Greenwood was among them, having scored five goals in his first seven games for the club.

We’ve learned that De Zerbi is a major fan of Mudryk and feels he can bring out the best in the winger if he joins Marseille.

A loan transfer is the most likely strategy from Marseille’s standpoint. That is consistent with Chelsea’s approach, since the club is unlikely to sell Mudryk entirely.

Is the Osimhen deal being revived? / Palmer transfer explanation
In other developments, Rudy Galetti, a transfer source, has informed TEAMtalk that Chelsea is still interested in acquiring Victor Osimhen following their near miss this summer.

Osimhen is presently on loan at Galatasaray, but the striker’s contract has a break clause that permits teams to sign him permanently in January if his release clause is met.

The clause is set at €75 million (£62.8 million / $82.1 million), which is much less than what Napoli was asking for in the summer.

Elsewhere, former England international Danny Mills has explained why Manchester City permitted Chelsea to buy Cole Palmer.

“The problem that I think he had at Manchester City, Pep likes to play in a certain way and Pep doesn’t really like those sort of freedom-esque players, which is why he had to reign Jack Grealish in an awful lot and he changed his game almost completely from what Jack was,” says Mills.

“[Grealish was] outstanding, which is why he got the move to Manchester City; he then became a completely different player. I don’t believe Cole Palmer was willing to adjust and become a player that would sit in that position, work back, and do what he was taught.”

Mudryk declines, whereas Madueke rises.
Mudryk joined Chelsea for up to £89 million (with add-ons) in January 2023, following a protracted battle with Arsenal, and it’s fair to say he hasn’t lived up to his price tag.

The Ukrainian international struggled to hit the net for the Blues in the second part of the 2022/23 season before netting seven goals in all competitions in 2023/24.

He has yet to score in eight appearances this season, unable to build on his previous success.

Madueke, 22, is arguably the best player to compare Mudryk to because they are the same age, play on the flank, and both broke into the Chelsea first team in 2022/23.

While Mudryk has struggled this season, Madueke has solidified his place in Maresca’s starting lineup by scoring four goals in six Premier League games, including a sensational hat-trick against Wolves.

Madueke averages 1.5 successful dribbles per match, compared to Mudryk’s 0.5, and he is also superior in possession, with a pass success percentage of 81.5% vs. the Ukrainian’s 65%, according to statistics this season.

Last season, Madueke had 1.4 more shots on goal per game than Mudryk, making him statistically more active in front of the net.

Maresca appears to believe that Mudryk is not talented enough to play frequently in his team, therefore a loan transfer away from Stamford Bridge may be the best option for his development.