Mauricio Pochettino will need to make some big decisions in his early days as Chelsea manager, with the likelihood of having to choose between Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk for his long-term project.
Both players were signed as part of a remarkable £600m+ spending spree this season, with neither having quite performed to the level expected of their huge price tags. However, Sterling has begun to show some of his best form in recent weeks, with a brace coming from the left-wing against Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw last weekend.
Mudryk, meanwhile, joined the club in an £87.5 million deal in January and is yet to score a goal while only managing to play 571 Premier League minutes. He is primarily a left-winger, meaning that next season the likelihood will be that he will have to fight for his place against established international and Premier League winner Sterling.
Competition for places is healthy at any club, but with The Blues having to play a reduced number of fixtures next season due to their absence from European competition, it could be a tough season for one of the two players. Neither benefitted from the constantly changing tactics of Graham Potter, but Pochettino is likely to bring in a more consistent line-up.
This could leave either player rooted to the bench for the start of the season, with Mudryk the more likely candidate at present. However, it has been highlighted that Todd Boehly and the Chelsea board will not accept such a situation, with Mirror Football's John Cross highlighting the circumstances for both players earlier this week.
He wrote: "Pochettino will have to show a willingness to make big signings like Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling work. Sterling is the experienced, quality player who can bring something to a young dressing room and be viewed as a good example for young players.
"Mudryk was a huge signing but has yet to click, although there have been flashes of his pace, close control and potential. Again, it would be unthinkable to give up at this stage."
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Mudryk has an eight-and-a-half year deal at Chelsea, with the contract signed back in January keeping the Ukrainian winger at Stamford Bridge through until June 2031. Such a transfer will need to be a success, with the deal seeing his future at the club secured until the age of thirty.
Contracts of this length were previously unprecedented in world football and have since been outlawed by UEFA due to their ability to circumvent Financial Fair Play Regulations. Such situations highlight the chaotic nature of events behind the scenes at Chelsea this season, and Pochettino will have to provide a calming influence, drawing on his experience as PSG manager to achieve it.
