When Chelsea hijacked Arsenal’s proposed move for Mykhaylo Mudryk in January, there was a sense that the Blues were getting one of the most exciting youngsters in Europe.
Mudryk, 22, scored an impressive 10 times in 18 matches for Shakhtar Donetsk in the first-half of the campaign. That included goals against RB Leipzig and Celtic in the Champions League, while he also impressed versus Real Madrid. Arsenal looked set to sign Mudryk, until Chelsea pounced and lodged a higher bid to prise the winger to Stamford Bridge instead.
But fast forward four months and it’s safe to say Mudryk hasn’t lived upto his price tag, having failed to score in 11 Premier League appearances so far. He has grabbed two assists, with one of them coming in the Blues’ most recent win at Leicester on March 11..
But his performances have been more hit than miss, stark contrast to whom Arsenal signed after missing out, Belgium international Leandro Trossard. Arriving in a £28million switch from Brighton, Trossard has since scored one goal and grabbed eight assists in 14 games, playing a vital role in a number of games to Arsenal's title bid.
Now Mudryk goes up against Arsenal on Tuesday night, with the opportunity to prove why there was so much fuss about him back in January - to the extent that his signing was hailed by Chelsea on social media DURING a Premier League match.
When asked about Mudryk on Monday, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said: "Every game is an opportunity for young players that have come here, and we also shouldn’t expect too much of players that have just got here.
"Maybe that is part of the story this year of young players coming in and, because of the performance of the team, being expected to make a difference."
There was more transfer drama between the two clubs at the end of the January transfer window when Jorginho switched west to north London. The Gunners needed an extra midfielder after Thomas Partey got injured and Jorginho was the man Mikel Arteta called, in a deal worth around £12million.
But after starting the four of his first six matches at the Gunners, Jorginho has largely been resigned to the bench and watching Arsenal's Premier League title bid. In fact, Jorginho has played just 90 minutes of first-team action in the last eight games, with Partey and Granit Xhaka continually preferred.
The former Napoli midfielder could have been ideal in the draws at Liverpool and West Ham to calm things down and ensure the Gunners got through the game when holding leads. But Arsenal dropped two-goal advantages in both of those games and they've been unable to keep themselves top of the table, with Manchester City moving top over the weekend.
Arsenal can move back to the top of the Premier League with a win over their London rivals - ahead of Manchester City's game against West Ham on Wednesday - on Tuesday night, but it will be interesting to see if the Italian international is handed a start.
Neither man has really made the impact their respective clubs would have hoped for when arriving in the transfer window. The question now is whether they're ready to do so, or if their managers are willing to give them the opportunity, against the clubs whom they turned their backs on.
