Cesar Azpilicueta says he is confident Mykhailo Mudryk will impress and become an important player at Chelsea following his January move from Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Blues usurped Arsenal in the pecking order to sign the Ukraine international, who made his debut in the goalless draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
While neither Mudryk nor any other player on the pitch could break the deadlock between the two struggling giants, his burst of speed and technique on the ball have impressed Azpilicueta, who himself reached 500 appearances for Chelsea at the weekend.
“I’ve seen a very focused lad with great determination, great ambition,” Azpilicueta said.
“It was his first game since November so, for him, it was like pre-season, he played 35 minutes at Anfield so it’s not the easiest debut and I think he did brilliantly.
“He has a great connection with the fans as well. He’s a player who can have that mix between playing good football with his feet and also running into space. You could see his speed.
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“He’s very confident. The price tag, I know from the outside it’s there but we players don’t make the prices, it’s a market and when you are in the market, you have competition to get players so I don’t think it has to lie on his shoulders.
“He just has to express himself the way he has been doing. It’s great to see his energy and he will be a very important player.”
Chelsea are tenth in the Premier League and, having been knocked out of the FA Cup, don't play again until they host Fulham in early February.
Source : 90min