Todd Boehly has certainly spent a small fortune at Chelsea after his takeover in May 2022, with the American investing a whopping £1.2bn in his attempts to take the club back to the summit of the Premier League.
He appointed Italian Enzo Maresca as the latest man to try and point the club in the right direction after Mauricio Pochettino’s departure at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
The 44-year-old has made an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge, winning 11 of his first 18 matches in charge, leading the club to third place in the league, just a point off Manchester City, who have won the division in each of the last four years.
Maresca has a hugely talented squad at his disposal, undoubtedly aiding his task at the helm, with numerous players already producing some impressive numbers in recent weeks.
Chelsea’s star performers in 2024/25
Winger Cole Palmer has continued his excellent form from the previous campaign into the current one, producing some phenomenal numbers in the process.
In his 12 league matches in various attacking roles, the former Manchester City ace has registered seven goals and five assists – which included a four-goal haul in just 45 minutes against Brighton.
The England international has the joint-second most amount of goal contributions in the division after the third international break, with only former Blue Mohamed Salah achieving a higher tally.
Striker Nicolas Jackson has been a man that has received a heap of criticism in recent years, with the fanbase often wanting a more senior focal point to lead the line for Maresca.
However, the Senegalese has answered his critics perfectly with his start to the new season, scoring seven times in 12 matches – matching Palmer’s tally of goals in the league.
The 23-year-old now appears to be worth every penny of his £30m transfer fee that was forked out for his signature in the summer of 2023, with Jackson having time on his side to improve further.
However, the same can’t be said for one player who has struggled once more in the opening months of 2024/25.
The player who Maresca needs to offload
Winger Mykhailo Mudryk arrived in West London for a huge £88.5m transfer fee during January 2023, beating rivals Arsenal for the signature of the Ukrainian.
Upon his move to the Bridge, the 23-year-old was dubbed as a “hugely exciting talent” on the day he signed by owner Boehly, but nearly two years on, he’s yet to show why they forked out such a hefty fee for his signature.
“We are delighted to welcome Mykhailo to Chelsea. He’s a hugely exciting talent who we believe will be a terrific addition to our squad both now and in the years to come. He will add further depth to our attack and we know he’ll get a very warm welcome to London.”
Mudryk, who earns £100k-per-week, has made 72 appearances in the Blue of Chelsea, scoring just nine times – an average of once every eight games he’s featured in – a below-par record for such a big-money signing.
Many have argued his corner, claiming he needs time to settle into life in the Premier League, but his record of seven league outings this season without a goal and an assist could prove he’s no longer at the level needed for Maresca.
The Italian also has the likes of Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, João Félix and the aforementioned Palmer ahead of the former Shakhtar Donetsk ace in the pecking order. That’s not to forget the likes of Estevao and Kendry Paez – fellow forwards – who could also occupy a role ahead of Mudryk when they arrive.
Cole Palmer
12
Christopher Nkunku
11
Nicolas Jackson
10
Mykhailo Mudryk
7
João Félix
6
Pedro Neto
6
Noni Madueke
5
Undoubtedly, the Blues could be set to lose a huge portion of their investment if they were to permanently part ways with the youngster in January.
The best course of action could be to loan the attacker out until the end of the campaign to a lower-end top division English side and reevaluate his situation in the summer.
It’s a huge disappointment to see such a promising player fail to deliver, with Chelsea undoubtedly wasting a huge amount of money in the deal to sign Mudryk nearly two years ago. Whether it’s now or in the summer; selling him is ultimately something they will have to do eventually.
Chelsea must regret losing Palmer-esque star who left after just 2 weeks
Chelsea let go of an academy gem after just a few weeks in the Cobham academy.
ByConnor HoldenNov 26, 2024