Mauricio Pochettino may face a fight to keep Mykhaylo Mudryk after the winger was urged to consider his future at Chelsea.

Mykhaylo Mudryk: The Chelsea winger has been advised to leave. (Image: Getty)

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino may have a job on his hands to convince Mykhaylo Mudryk to remain at the club after one of his former coaches told him to consider leaving the club. The Blues winger has made gradual improvements this season and earned plaudits from fans and pundits alike, but there have been calls for Mudryk to find another club where he will be more comfortable after struggling to settle in London.

Mudryk has been burdened by inflated expectations since his high-profile £88million transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk in January this year. The youngster, 22, has scored twice in 28 appearances, with two assists for the club as well.

Both goals have come this season under Pochettino, with the Ukraine international finally scoring his first goal for Chelsea in their league win over Fulham in October. He then followed that with a fortuitous lob that embarrassed David Raya against Arsenal.

The west London club have experienced one of the most turbulent periods in their history after finishing 12th in owner Todd Boehly's first season at the club. And while Mudryk is not solely to blame for Chelsea's struggles on the pitch, his lack of goals have contributed to a run that has seen them win only eight games in 2023.

Mauricio Pochettino: The Chelsea boss may not like the comments from Mudryk's former coach. (Image: Getty)

As a contrast, Mudryk's form at international level, with four-goal contributions in his last six caps for Ukraine, would appear to reinforce the claim made by a former coach that he is not being utilised correctly by his club or manager.

Carlo Nicolini, who has been with Shakhtar since 2020 after arriving with former coach Roberto De Zerbi, has urged Mudryk to consider leaving Chelsea to find the best club and coach for him to thrive under.

“Mudryk needed to take one more step there, then the war happened. He went to Chelsea which, however, is not a team, in these contexts, even the individual struggles,” he told Italian outlet TV Play.

“In the national team you can see the real Mudryk, he can do even more. He must find the right environment and a coach who gives him confidence. He has everything to rock, I hope he can show it because he is really strong.”

Helping nurture Mudryk into a world-class player is viewed as one of Pochettino's biggest tests at Chelsea, and the Argentinian has been working closely with the forward on the training ground to improve his confidence. The 51-year-old claims he is already seeing the results of their work on the training ground and will be hoping to see the best side of the Ukrainian in the second half of the season.

"After three months he is not a completely different player because we are not magic but he is a different person," Pochettino said in October.

“We are starting to see how lovely this guy is. He is so sensitive and smart. He is so clever. And how important it is to give confidence in life and in life to trust. When people trust they can be open and start to express their talent in football.

“Misha is doing really well in his relationships with the team, the coaching staff, the medical staff, with the club. That is a massive improvement. It is not to give him some exercises or some advice about how to move between the lines or one very one."

At some points last season, Mudryk could not buy a start in the team or even minutes as a substitute under Frank Lampard. Mudryk declared in the summer that Chelsea had only seen 20 per cent of his best football since arriving 10 months ago. Now, three months into the season, there have been flashes of his ability but they have come far and few between - but Pochettino clearly believes he can have a large say in Chelsea's future.

Of course, there is the risk that he improves to a point where Pochettino may face a fight to hold onto him, particularly with his former coaches lending advice about his future plans. And it will be down to the Chelsea boss to ensure he is not tempted to leave if - and when - he finally realises his potential.