Chelsea managerial target Roberto De Zerbi is a big fan of one Blues player who has had a difficult time at Stamford Bridge.
The Londoners have been on the lookout for a new manager since confirming Mauricio Pochettino‘s exit 48 hours after their final Premier League game of the season.
Chelsea have been linked with plenty of managers to take the Stamford Bridge hot seat since. De Zerbi’s name has started to make some noise again.
Roberto De Zerbi has already made a big claim about Chelsea’s Mykhaylo Mudryk
Roberto De Zerbi has been a wanted man since the turn of 2024.
The Italian was heavily linked with the Liverpool job after Jurgen Klopp announced his departure, while Manchester United are also considering him as an option to replace Erik ten Hag.
Chelsea are on the hunt for a new boss, and reports have revealed recently that De Zerbi is on Todd Boehly’s list of targets.
It has also been claimed that the Italian is keen to fill the vacancy at Stamford Bridge.
It’s still unclear whether Chelsea will pick him over the other names on their shortlist, but one player would surely be delighted if De Zerbi gets the job – Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The Ukrainian worked under De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk, and the two of them know each other very well.
De Zerbi rates Mudryk very highly, so much so that he has backed the winger to win the Ballon d’Or one day.
Speaking to La Repubblica in January 2023, De Zerbi said: “Mykhaylo has the potential for a top career. In my opinion, he can also win the Ballon d’Or.
“He is a player of the highest level but he is also very sensitive. He needs affection. We will see if he matches his potential.”
Why Chelsea should pick De Zerbi over their top manager target
Roberto De Zerbi isn’t the likeliest option to become Chelsea’s next manager, Enzo Maresca of Leicester is the number one choice.
However, the former Brighton man would arguably be the safer option.
Yes, De Zerbi can be a bit explosive in press conferences when things don’t go his way, but he has Premier League experience unlike Maresca and has shown he can improve younger players at the top level.
Mudryk, in particular, could explode under De Zerbi and potentially even fulfil the potential he showed at Shakhtar Donetsk when he worked with the Italian.
Maresca could prove to be elite like Mikel Arteta, but Chelsea aren’t in a good place right now, and De Zerbi, in our opinion, would be the safer bet to steady the ship.