Mauricio Pochettino has been told that he already has his own Kylian Mbappe at Chelsea. The 24-year-old forward faces an increasingly uncertain future at Paris Saint-Germain, with his contract expiring in 12-months, and he's said to be on the move this summer.
According to L’Equipe, Mbappe sent a letter to the Parisians declaring his desire to not stay at Les Parc des Princes beyond next season. The report states that PSG have been left angered at the manner of the announcement, and they plan to cash in on the France international rather than risk losing him for free in 2024.
Then, a few hours later, Le Parisien published an article claiming that Mbappe is targeting a move to Real Madrid. The Frenchman quickly shutdown the suggestion a move to the Santiago Bernabeu on social media, tweeting: "At the same time, the bigger it is, the more it passes. I have already said that I will continue next season at PSG where I am very happy."
If Mbappe is to leave the French capital this summer then PSG could demand a world-record fee; according to The New York Times, the Ligue 1 champions would want at least £160million for his signature. However, luckily for Pochettino, Chelsea have already signed an alternative – Mykhailo Mudryk.
Speaking to Emanuel Rosu last year, former Shakhtar Donetsk and now-Dynamo Kyiv boss insisted that the Ukrainian's 'qualities can not be questioned'. Mircea Lucescu said: "Mudryk is a copy of Mbappe, it will be great to see him play at a higher stage than he is right now. His qualities and perspectives can't be questioned."
Despite having shown glimpses of magic, Mudryk has struggled to impress in his debut Premier League campaign. While the 22-year-old winger is yet to score his first goal for the Blues, he's only ever completed 90 minutes in the English top-flight once.
Starting just seven games and being brought off the bench in eight, he was never given a run of games to truly get his feet under the table. But, with a fresh start on the cards under Pochettino, Chelsea will be hoping that the newly-appointed boss can help Mudryk fulfil his potential as the next Mbappe.
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And, it looks like the Ukrainian is willing to do whatever is takes to rejuvenate his performances. According to The Times, Mudryk is ready to represent his country in the upcoming European Under-21s Championship to recapture his form in time for the new season.
The report states that it remains to be seen whether or not he will actually be part of the squad for the tournament but Chelsea have backed his decision. Despite being part of the senior sqaud, Mudryk is still eligible for this summer's competition in Romania and Georgia.
If he guides Ukraine to the final of the Under-21s tournament then he'll miss the first seven days of pre-season under Pochettino.
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