Mykhailo Mudryk is not what Tottenham need - but Roberto De Zerbi can get best out of him

When Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham took to LinkedIn this week to discuss the club’s summer transfer window, he described the “months of scouting, analysis and planning” that went into overhauling a squad that came within a hair of being relegated to the Championship last season.Indeed, Spurs started breathlessly in the transfer market, quickly identifying and convincing targets to buy into Roberto De Zerbi’s project.A concerted plan was ruthlessly executed, and the rest of the Premier League took note as the north Londoners twice broke their transfer record to sign Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.However, as the deadline edged closer, panic seemed to set in. Spurs, having failed to score in either of their opening two league games, were still short in attack and had missed out on their top two targets in Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye.Missed target: Iliman NdiayeManchester City FCDe Zerbi, Venkatesham, and sporting director Johan Lange were left scrambling for market opportunities before landing on a Deadline Day loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk.In a summer in which the club prioritised Premier League-proven talent, they ended up securing the services of a player with just five goals in 53 top-flight appearances.Add to that the fact that Mudryk has not played a competitive match since November 2024 due to a doping ban, and it is fair to say Spurs have taken a risk in helping to rehabilitate the Ukrainian’s career.For all the talk of surefire signings, Mudryk is the antithesis. An unpolished gem, all pace and power. But a player ultimately lacking finesse and a footballing education.De Zerbi once tipped Mudryk, his former protege at Shakhtar Donetsk, to go on and win the Ballon d’Or. The Spurs boss knows there is more than a lot of work to do to get the Ukrainian anywhere near those conversations now.“He has had many problems,” De Zerbi reflected when asked about his prediction, which he gave in 2022 while manager of Brighton.“In the end, the potential is clear, and now his challenge is to respect all his qualities. He's a great player. He has to feel this season, to live this season in the right way. Not too much pressure, but it's the right moment for him to show all people things.Returner: Mykhailo MudrykSPURSPLAY“Because if Chelsea paid €100million four years ago. I think they brought in a lot of big players. And to spend 100 million, I think they thought very well about the qualities of Mudryk.”Read MoreDe Zerbi is better placed than many to get the best out of Mudryk. Credited by the 25-year-old as his footballing father, De Zerbi will need to show the patience and unconditional love that only a father can.Mudryk is a complicated young man. Quiet but brimming with self-belief, his reserved character means he often internalises his confidence in his own ability, neglecting the help of his team-mates as he flies down the flanks on a one-man crusade to prove his doubters wrong.The January 2023 move to Stamford Bridge, for a fee that could still rise to £89m, perhaps came too soon for him and De Zerbi believes the price tag weighed heavily on the winger.“From Shakhtar to Chelsea, I think he paid a big price because different leagues, different countries, a different level of the club with a big, big responsibility because he knew the price Chelsea paid for him.”Inked from head to toe in tattoos that reflect his religion, self-confidence and relentless work ethic, it is the tattoos located aptly just above his feet, which read "Play Freely" and "Play Happy", that De Zerbi will be looking for Mudryk to embody.Confidence dictates the forward’s game. It even rules him at times. But find his stride, as he fleetingly did during Chelsea’s 2024-25 Conference League campaign, and he can cause all sorts of issues.Reunion: Roberto De ZerbiGettyDizzying dexterity in tight spaces, a yard and a half of pace on his marker and a venomous curling shot off his favoured right foot, Mudryk in full flow has defenders retreating into their own box.His relentless work ethic, “he works double than other team-mates”, means he will do everything in his power to try to get his career back on track under De Zerbi.Channeling that energy - Mudryk turned up late to his Spurs media duties because he was out doing extras after training - into productivity on the pitch remains the major hurdle for De Zerbi, though.He does not need another uncut gem of an attacker trying to turn pressure into diamonds. Spurs’ business this summer was supposed to produce instant results.