Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has claimed that Mykhaylo Mudryk may have some regrets over his decision to join the Blues.
The highly-rated Ukrainian winger was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League during his time at Shakhtar Donetsk: both Brentford and Arsenal were credited with an interest in Mudryk back in the summer and the Gunners reportedly made the 22-year-old their top target prior to the January transfer window.
Mikel Arteta's side saw two bids for Mudryk rebuffed by Shakhtar last month before Chelsea swooped in to seal a blockbuster £88million deal. However, up until the move was confirmed, it was widely believed that Arsenal was Mudryk's preferred destination.
Petit played for both Arsenal and Chelsea in a career that saw him win the Premier League and the World Cup. And while the Frenchman is adamant that Mudryk will be a success at Stamford Bridge, he has questioned whether the wide-man is truly happy about where he's ended up after appearing to U-turn on a move to Arsenal.
Speaking to Betway, Petit said: "I liked the way Mudryk played against Liverpool on his debut. I think he put something different into the Chelsea game when he came up against them. He showed that he was very quick on the ball. He showed that he wasn’t scared, he took responsibility straight away. He wanted to put pressure on the defenders.
"It is still a big gamble for the future. At first he wanted to go to Arsenal, but ended up at Chelsea, so my question is: 'Is he happy about that?' I’m not sure. But definitely he would add quality to their squad. I hope that he will be successful over at Chelsea."
In the weeks leading up to his move, Mudryk had teased Arsenal fans with various hints on social media and looked destined to join the Gunners, who are currently five points clear at the summit of the Premier League.
Join the debate! Do you think Mudryk made the right decision? Let us know here.
But after Chelsea thrashed out an initial agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk over the structure of a deal, talks progressed quickly. And Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal could regret being gazumped by Chelsea after Mudryk's impressive debut against Liverpool.
Speaking on BT Sport following Mudryk's cameo, Ferdinand said: "We’ve all seen the clips of him and that explosive pace. But what I liked about him today is we saw soft feet on him and a good weight of pass too.
"He was making good decisions in the final third and was showing calmness while running at speed. Those elements make him a frightening proposition for full-backs when he gets into full flow. This is only his first minutes in a month or so.
"Who knows what he’s going to be producing after this but it’s exciting for Chelsea fans. I’m sure there will be Arsenal fans sitting there going, 'oh my days, how did we let that one go?'"
