Shakhtar CEO reveals he warned Chelsea about Mudryk before they signed him

Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Serhiy Palkin insists that Mykhailo Mudryk is not regretting his January move to Chelsea, although he did warn the Stamford Bridge outfit that they would need patience with the talented winger

The 22-year-old’s arrival in a deal that could reach up to £89million was lauded by many as the Blues beat London rivals Arsenal the signature of one of the best young talents in European football.

While the table-topping Gunners ended up signing Leandro Trossard instead and are closing in on their first Premier League title since 2004, the Blues are currently sitting 11th and Mudryk has struggled to make a significant impact.

The Ukraine international has just one solitary assist in his nine games for the club so far.

However, Palkin revealed that he met Mudryk last week and confirmed the player remains confident he can make a big impact in west London. But Pakin also claims that he warned Chelsea they would need a patient approach with a player who only had limited experience of top-level football before completing his high-profile switch.

He told Sky Sports: “A week ago in England, I met Mykhailo Mudryk and he is very happy.

“He likes everything that is going on [there], he wants to work hard, he wants to show the best.

“I said from the beginning, I spoke to the owners of Chelsea, and I told them you’ve got a real diamond but you should be very, very patient. Give this guy time and he will show you what he can bring to the club.”

Mudryk tipped to lead Chelsea trophy haul

But despite those struggles, Palkin remains confident that Mudryk will eventually prove his worth.

He added: “I know 100 per cent he will participate [in winning] many, many trophies for Chelsea in the future.

“This is a very, very unique boy. A unique boy with unbelievable technical characteristics.

“I stayed at the club [Shakhtar] for 20 years. I have seen a lot of players.

“This one, from a professional point of view and how hard he works, I have never seen it in my life.”

Mudryk could get his next taste of action in a Chelsea shirt when the Blues head to Real Madrid for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.