After just one season at the helm, Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea. Although there was plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Argentine's position at Stamford Bridge, the news has come as somewhat of a shock.
Indeed, the Blues ended the season in sixth place with 63 points, finishing with five straight victories, a sign that the manager had finally found his best starting side.
Nonetheless, Todd Boehly clearly hadn't been won over by the former Tottenham Hotspur boss, and a change in the dugout will be made over the summer.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a manager target who has the potential to transform the squad, and Mykhailo Mudryk in particular.
Chelsea’s search for a new manager
According to a report from the Guardian, Chelsea are among the clubs that could move for Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna this summer.
Brighton & Hove Albion are in pole position to sign the Northern Irish boss, while Manchester United could also reunite with their former coach.
The Blues have been in talks with McKenna’s representatives in recent days and are said to admire a coach who has just claimed the Championship's "Manager of the Year" award.
However, a move to Chelsea may be the least likely outcome, given his previous ties to the Red Devils, Roberto De Zerbi leaving, and the nature of the Blues job.
Why McKenna could make Mudryk unstoppable
As every Premier League fan will be aware, Mudryk hasn’t exactly lived up to his £89m price tag since arriving at Chelsea.
The Ukrainian winger has been utilised quite frequently this season by Pochettino, but he’s been unable to get the best out of him, with the number 10 scoring five goals and providing two assists in 31 appearances.
This return simply isn’t good enough for a player who cost such an enormous fee, but he has started all of Chelsea’s last seven league games, which indicates the boss views him in his best lineup.
Nonetheless, given the way that Ipswich have played this season, it’s fair to presume that the arrival of McKenna would benefit Mudryk massively.
Wins
28
18
Goals scored
92
77
Goals conceded
57
63
Clean sheets
15
8
Shots (per 90)
15.6
14.4
As you can see, the Tractor Boys have been absolutely fantastic during their promotion campaign, with McKenna installing an attacking philosophy that produces results, hence why he’s been called a “top-class” coach by analyst StatmanDave.
The young manager loves to utilise his wingers in his current 4-2-3-1 setup, which gives positional freedom to the left-winger in particular, which is where Mudryk would feature.
Chelsea loanee Omari Hutchinson and Nathan Broadhead have both benefited from this style of play this season, scoring ten and 13 goals, respectively. Hutchinson, in particular, was particularly vibrant on the left-hand side, scoring six goals in nine games from that role on the pitch.
A frequent occurrence of the duo’s game is that they like to drift inside, allowing the onrushing Leif Davies to attack out wide, which has worked perfectly given the defender’s league-high 18 assists, with Hutchinson's goal below showcasing the sort of positions the Ukraine international may find himself in.
Furthermore, to secure back-to-back promotions, it’s clear that the Ipswich boss knows how to get the best out of every individual on the field, and this would certainly instil confidence in Mudryk.
At 23 years of age, the attacker still has plenty of time to reach his true potential, and Boehly will hope that signing McKenna can turn his depreciating asset into the superstar he once promised.
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