De Zerbi's Bold Prediction for Mudryk as They Reunite at Spurs
Roberto De Zerbi is not backing away. Not from his football, and certainly not from one of the boldest predictions of his career: Mykhailo Mudryk, Ballon d’Or winner in waiting.
Months of struggle at Chelsea, questions over the fee, a stop-start Premier League career – none of it has shaken the Italian’s belief. Now, the two are back together at Tottenham, and the stakes feel higher than ever.
Back under familiar orders
Mudryk landed at Spurs on deadline day, a season-long loan from Chelsea with a hefty caveat. Tottenham hold an option to buy for £75 million next summer if the winger finally explodes into the player so many thought he would become.
For Mudryk, the move is more than a change of shirt. It is a return to the coach who first unlocked his talent at Shakhtar Donetsk, where the Ukrainian’s raw pace and fearless dribbling turned him into one of Europe’s most coveted young attackers.
De Zerbi first made his Ballon d’Or prediction during his spell at Brighton, just as Mudryk’s blockbuster move to Chelsea was being finalised. It sounded wild then. It sounds even wilder now, after a difficult spell in London and long spells on the fringes.
Yet De Zerbi insists nothing has changed in his mind.
"We spent a very particular season together in Shakhtar," he said, quoted by ESPN. "When the war started, we were together. And when I spoke about the Ballon d'Or, I was very clear. Maybe my English is not so good, but I was very clear because I was speaking about the potential of the player. The potential of the player can be the same and can respect the prediction or not."
The message is blunt: the ceiling is still there. It is up to Mudryk to reach it.
A €100m question
Chelsea committed around €100m to sign Mudryk in January 2023. Since then, he has rarely looked like a player of that price tag. Flashes, yes. Sustained dominance, no.
De Zerbi did not hide from that reality, nor from the interruptions that have stalled his former protégé’s progress, including a lengthy absence from elite football following a suspension.
"Until now, he has had many problems," De Zerbi admitted. "The last problem, the suspension for whatever was the problem, but the [outcome] is clear. And now his challenge is to respect all his qualities because he's a great player.
"He has to leave this season in a right way, not too [much] pressure, but it is the right moment for him to show [his ability] because if Chelsea paid €100m four years ago. I think they brought a lot of big, big players and to spend €100m, I think they thought very well about the qualities of Mudryk."
That fee hangs over Mudryk every time he steps on the pitch. At Spurs, though, the framing is different. Tottenham have not yet paid it. They have the luxury of seeing whether De Zerbi can rebuild him before committing to that £75m option.
Building back, minute by minute
For now, the conversation is not about trophies or awards. It is about minutes.
Mudryk arrives short of rhythm and match fitness. De Zerbi did not pretend otherwise and was honest about the uncertainty over when the winger will be ready to start a Premier League game.
The Italian did, though, offer Spurs fans a small jolt of excitement. He confirmed Mudryk is ready to feature in short bursts – between 15 and 30 minutes – in Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest.
A cameo, then. But a significant one. A first glimpse of whether this reunion can ignite something that has flickered but never truly caught fire in England.
If Mudryk rediscovers the electric form he showed under De Zerbi at Shakhtar, Tottenham’s £75m option suddenly looks less like a gamble and more like an inevitability.
For the Ukrainian, this season is not about justifying a prediction or a price tag. It is about proving that his career is still pointing towards the heights his coach insists he can reach.
