Chelsea £62m star labelled as 'quality' by Graham Potter could be first January transfer business

It was a hectic summer of transfer business for Chelsea and the Blues already appear to be getting their ducks in a row ahead of the January window.

When the market opens again, the first piece of business for Enzo Maresca could well be to part ways with winger Mykhailo Mudryk to end an underwhelming two-year stay at Stamford Bridge.

The 23-year-old joined the Blues from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, signing a lengthy eight-and-a-half-year contract to complete a £62 million move. There were high hopes for the pacey and skilful winger but he has struggled for consistency since making the move to London.

Football Insider now reports that Chelsea are ready to sell the player in January as a priority piece of business. The outlet reports that it will be 'difficult' for Mudryk to turn things around at Stamford Bridge with Maresca proving ruthless when it comes to trimming his squad.

Speaking about the Ukraine international recently, the Chelsea manager said: “I don’t think it’s a lack of confidence. Misha is Misha. You have to accept the way he is. Hopefully, he can get minutes and do better.”

The forward has made just two Premier League cameos from the bench so far this season as he struggles for game time under Maresca. Since joining Chelsea, Mudryk has made 63 appearances and scored seven goals along with picking up six assists.

Despite falling out of favour under Maresca, Mudryk had previously been praised for his 'attitude' and 'quality' by former Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who signed him for the club.

Mauricio Pochettino had also backed the player. After his first Premier League goal last season, the Argentine said: "For Mischa he scored his first goal in the Premier League, and for Armando after a long period out he scored again. I’m so happy for them, they deserve it.

"We need to understand that young people need time and need to settle. It’s about adaptation. It’s a big change when Mudryk arrived here and when you arrive at a team, it’s not easy to settle in a team that isn’t solid. He wasn’t the cherry on the cake, they needed to add something to the team.

"It’s about time, having patience, trusting these young talented players, building confidence. It’s a big job, step by step. Sometimes people don’t have the patience but for us it’s about having the patience. Even when we weren’t winning, we were calm, stayed positive, had the belief."