Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi is confident he can revive the career of new loan signing Mykhailo Mudryk, a player he once labelled a future Ballon d'Or winner. The 25-year-old Ukrainian winger has joined Spurs for the season from Chelsea with a reported £75 million option to buy. De Zerbi managed Mudryk during a prolific spell at Shakhtar Donetsk and believes he can rediscover that form in north London.
Spurs are in desperate need of a spark, sitting bottom of the Premier League after two games. They have failed to score, conceding five times, and are already six points behind leaders Manchester City. Their next chance comes at home to Everton on September 12th, a match they will approach without several key attackers listed on the club's injuries page.
The connection between manager and player is rooted in their shared past in Ukraine. Under De Zerbi at Shakhtar in the 2021-22 season, Mudryk was named player of the season after scoring eight goals in a blistering six-week period. The Italian coach made his high regard public even after leaving, stating when he was Brighton boss that Premier League clubs were chasing the winger. "I know the value of Mudryk," De Zerbi said. "He can win the Ballon d'Or in future. He has the quality to become a star."
That potential prompted Chelsea to pay £89 million for Mudryk in January 2023, but his time at Stamford Bridge was disappointing. He went ten months without a goal after joining and was eventually reduced to a late substitute role under Enzo Maresca. A doping ban for meldonium, which began in November 2024 and was cut short in summer 2025, further stalled his progress. He has not played a competitive match since that ban began.
The need for fresh impetus in attack is acute. Tottenham are one of only three Premier League teams yet to score this season. Their top scorer from last campaign, Richarlison, has been omitted from the 25-man Premier League squad and is reportedly angling for a move to Trabzonspor. Other forwards are struggling with fitness. Dejan Kulusevski is nearing a return from injury, but James Maddison has not started a game for even longer. Mohamed Kudus has not started since January, and new signings Savio and Omar Marmoush were lured from Manchester City's bench.
Further options are limited. Mathys Tel, a 21-year-old signed from Bayern Munich 20 months ago, is still considered a work in progress. Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are in the squad but are weeks from fitness after serious knee injuries earlier this year. The current squad situation shows eight other attacking or creative players have managed just 33 appearances and nine league goals between them this calendar year.
Mudryk's arrival is a calculated gamble during a period of significant transition at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The club completed a defensive upgrade early in the summer but has seen several high-profile departures, including Cristian Romero and Randal Kolo Muani. Expensive signings like Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have yet to find their best rhythm, and there are questions over goalkeeper Toni Kinsky.
The departure of forwards Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye has created uncertainty around the team's firepower. This context makes De Zerbi's belief in a player he knows intimately a logical, if risky, strategy. Mudryk's key asset remains his exhilarating speed, a quality that was on full display during Shakhtar matches played in wartime conditions at neutral venues.
Tottenham's immediate focus is breaking their goal drought. They face an Everton side currently seventh in the standings, with the match scheduled for September 12th at home. The club will hope Mudryk's reunion with De Zerbi can provide the catalyst they urgently need.
