De Zerbi's Bold Ballon d'Or Prediction for Mudryk at Spurs
Roberto De Zerbi isn’t backing away from the line that raised eyebrows across Europe. He still believes Mykhailo Mudryk can become a Ballon d'Or winner.
The Italian has repeated that bold prediction just as the Ukrainian winger walks back into his dressing room, this time at Tottenham, after a chaotic spell at Chelsea.
From €100m Chelsea gamble to Spurs lifeline
Mudryk has joined Spurs on a season-long loan from their London rivals, with Tottenham holding a £75 million option to buy next summer if he finally explodes in the Premier League.
It is a fresh start in familiar company. De Zerbi and Mudryk forged their relationship at Shakhtar Donetsk, where the winger’s electric pace and fearless dribbling first turned him into one of Europe’s most talked-about prospects.
De Zerbi first went public with his Ballon d'Or prediction during his Brighton days, just before Mudryk made his huge move to Stamford Bridge in January 2023. The fee, including add-ons, climbed towards €100m. The performances never followed.
Chelsea’s gamble has yet to pay off. Mudryk, now 25, has struggled to settle, struggled for form, and at times simply struggled to play, after a lengthy absence from elite football that included a suspension.
De Zerbi knows exactly how turbulent the journey has been.
“We spent a very particular season together in Shakhtar,” he said, as 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.”
A talent tested by setbacks
The coach did not hide from Mudryk’s recent reality.
“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.”
That word – challenge – now defines Mudryk’s season. Tottenham’s option to buy only becomes meaningful if he finally shows why Chelsea once pushed the boat out.
“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.”
The message is blunt: that kind of price tag does not land on a fraud. The raw material is there. It is down to Mudryk, and now De Zerbi again, to turn that potential back into performances.
Short bursts before the real test
For now, talk of Ballon d'Or and permanent transfers sits in the background. Mudryk’s immediate task is simple: get fit, get sharp, get on the pitch.
After so long without consistent top-level minutes, De Zerbi has already warned that the winger is not ready to be thrown straight into a Premier League starting XI. Match rhythm has to be rebuilt, not assumed.
Even so, Spurs supporters should not have to wait long to see him in their colours. De Zerbi confirmed Mudryk is ready for a cameo, somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes, in Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest.
It is a modest beginning for a player once talked about as Europe’s next great wide forward. But if the old connection with De Zerbi sparks again, and if that long-discussed potential finally surfaces in north London, Tottenham’s £75m option may quickly stop looking like a gamble and start feeling like an inevitability.
