Roberto De Zerbi on 'gamechanger' Mykhailo Mudryk after completing Tottenham loan transfer

Roberto De Zerbi has outlined his plan to transform Mykhailo Mudryk into a key figure for Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs have acquired the 25-year-old winger on a season-long loan from Chelsea with a purchase option valued at £75 million ($101.2 million), and he will don the number 27 shirt. Mudryk recently completed a doping suspension after nearly two years away from competitive action.

De Zerbi previously coached the Ukrainian at Shakhtar Donetsk and developed him into a UEFA Champions League standout, which secured his £61 million (around $75 million) transfer to Chelsea in 2023.

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With the pair now reunited, De Zerbi is confident he can unlock the attacker’s potential once more.

“Having worked with Misha earlier in his career, I know exactly what he can bring to our team. He has the quality to change a game with his speed and ability in one-vs-one situations, and is an exciting, attacking talent,” he said, as per football.london.

“I will demand a lot from Misha and it is our job to help him find the best version of himself. If we do that then he can become a very important player for us. I am very happy he chose to come here, and I cannot wait to work with him again.”

Mudryk himself said: “It’s a great feeling. I can’t wait to start training and playing for the club, and I’m so excited to be reunited with Roberto De Zerbi.

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“I’m a player who brings speed and creativity, and I want to help in both the offensive and defensive areas. I want to make the fans excited. I can see it’s a strong squad here with good players, and I’m looking forward to sharing a pitch and special moments with them.”

Sporting director Johan Lange said: “We are delighted to welcome Mykhailo to the club. We believe he has the attributes to make a real contribution to our team and we are excited to see his development in our environment.

“Mykhailo’s ambition and determination to take on this challenge has impressed me. He has a strong desire to succeed and improve, and that fits well with the culture we are building.

“We will fully support Mykhailo as he settles in, works with Roberto and our coaching staff and his new team-mates, and we look forward to this next chapter of his career.”