Arsenal thank €100m flop Mudryk for joining Chelsea

Gabriel Agbonlahor says that Arsenal and their fans must be relieved that Mykhailo Mudryk joined Chelsea instead of them.

Mudryk joined Chelsea for €100 million in January 2023 from Shakhtar Donetsk after the Blues hijacked Arsenal’s deal for the winger.

However, Mudryk has flopped badly at Stamford Bridge.

He has managed just four goals and three assists in 41 appearances amidst a string of poor performances.

Agbonlahor says that Arsenal must be thanking their lucky stars that Chelsea came in and took Mudryk off their hands given how bad he has been.

What did Agbonlahor say?

“You see, when I watch him, and I said it last week, and it might seem rude, but he would run into a mannequin if there was a mannequin on the pitch,” Agbonlahor said.

“He runs into players if like the ball would go through them and he could sprint after it. It doesn’t work like that. This is the Premier League.

“The defenders are clever. They know when to back off and give you some space.

“Even when he runs through one-on-one, you would never back him. I mean, it’s like Werner, a bit like hectic, they are not in control of the ball, and Arsenal fans must be thinking, ‘Wow imagine if we had like signed him’.

“You look at Mudryk and Martinelli, miles difference in quality. Martinelli on Sunday rips past Konate. That’s how you use your pace.”

Mudryk has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea due to his bad showings and even considered leaving the club during the January transfer market.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has criticised Pochettino publicly on a number of occasions and last week said that the Ukrainian was not playing for the team, comparing him to a tennis player.

“Now he is on the bench. It’s about the form – if you keep your form and you are the best during every training session, [you will play],” Pochettino said.

“It’s about meritocracy. He has amazing quality and potential, but it’s a team game, it’s not tennis.”

Chelsea are next in action on Wednesday in the FA Cup as they take on Aston Villa at Villa Park.