Purchased for a total package of 100 million euros, talented winger Mykhaylo Mudryk was once the player Chelsea had to have, spending massively to sign him ahead of rivals Arsenal after the Ukrainian made a name for himself against big opponents like Real Madrid during the Champions League nights.
But Mudryk turned out to be a monumental bust, a symbol of excessive spending, selfishness on the field, and a lack of a fit in the grander scheme of things at Chelsea.
Even though Pedro Neto began his career at Chelsea as a polar opposite after being the workhorse for Wolves, Neto has slowly become what he was not – and he is now the enemy for many Chelsea fans.
Neto has been abhorrent this season, holding back an otherwise effective Blues attack as the clear weak link when he is in the starting lineup. The Portuguese international hit a new low against Wrexham, as Chelsea nearly lost with him squandering so many possessions in the starting lineup.
Chelsea were able to turn the match later, but Neto exposed all his flaws with Cole Palmer out. He gave himself the keys to the kingdom in the attacking midfield, trying to do way too much to play hero ball.
Neto’s shooting is woeful, he takes too many defenders on, he holds the ball, and his passing just is not creative enough. He shoehorns himself into central positions, almost making himself a free role player instead of hugging the touchline and trying to win as a creative winger.
Mudryk was such a problem because he held the ball too much, took bad shots, and overrated his own quality. Neto has become the same sort of player, and Chelsea are at a point where he is now untenable to the squad.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.