It's now a third season in and things really haven't moved for Mudryk as a Blues player. Indeed, it does appear to be going backwards. Another manager. Another relationship to be built. New staff. Different ideas. Mudryk has never been given the chance to find his stride. To find his rhythm in a consistent system and with a manager who knows and believes in him.
Instead, the Ukrainian has always been the one to be withdrawn. To be assigned specialist training. One-on-one with staff. Even with the manager, as it was with Mauricio Pochettino last season. But rarely with any carrot at the end. His critics talk about Mudryk playing in fits and starts. But you could also say the same about his playing opportunities. Again, it's all been in bits and pieces. And whether it was Graham Potter, Pochettino or Enzo Maresca, you always had the sense that Mudryk was grudgingly being granted minutes due to his price-tag and the man behind his arrival.
The career has stalled. There's no question. Mudryk's career has been on a slide ever since Shakhtar Donetsk's canny sporting director Darijo Srna convinced Behdad Eghbali, Chelsea's co-owner, to commit over €70m in January '23 to sign the winger.
Andriy Stetsenko, Dnipro's former GM, is still amazed by Srna's coup: "Shakhtar sold Mudryk for cosmic money. And how do you know? They told you that he was sold for cosmic money. If you are so interested, then I will tell you my opinion, let even Shakhtar spit on me from all sides.
"Do you know a football player named (Artem) Dovbyk? Do you know how much he was sold to Girona for? For about €14m, of which Dnipro received half. €7m. And how much did Mudryk go to Chelsea for? For €70m. Tell me, is the level of Dovbyk 10 times different from the level of Mudryk? Do idiots run Chelsea? They do not know the potential value of this or that football player, that they pay 7 million for one, and 70 million for another?
"Do they have such a transfer policy of buying everyone for crazy money? Why didn't they buy Dovbyk for 150 million then? Because I consider Dovbyk a better player than Mudryk."
While this column wouldn't be as blunt as Stetsenko, he does talk sense. And there is a decent recommendation amongst the insults for Mudryk. However, we will also say, on potential, in the right setting, Mudryk has the ability to match the success of his attacking Ukraine teammate. But as we say, it won't be in a Chelsea shirt.
He needs to get out. And soon. With January looming, Mudryk and his new management team must see that Chelsea and the Premier League - at this stage in his career - isn't for him. He needs to find a less intense competition. One of a high standard. But not with the ruthless brutality that English football possesses - especially for wingers. As Stetsenko's rant suggests, a move to LaLiga, to a Girona or a Real Betis could work for Mudryk. Olympique Marseille have also been mentioned. LaLiga. Ligue 1. Both competitive leagues, but not at the cut-throat level of the Premier League. And again, at a Girona or Betis - where there's a stability regarding their bench and expectations are realistic - Mudryk would be given the room to accelerate his development on matchday, rather than being hidden away on the Cobham training pitches.
It certainly worked for Dovbyk, now with AS Roma. As it has fellow Ukraine winger Viktor Tsygankov, who's progress with Girona last season attracted enquiries from bigger clubs. For Mudryk, there'd be no shame in cutting his losses and starting again. Certainly he'd be no Robinson Crusoe doing so as a Chelsea player.
Pushed about Mudryk last week, Maresca said his winger still had much to improve: "Training session. Training sessions are the only way to improve players. We try to improve all of them every day with some of them doing an extra session at the end. Misha is one of them. At the moment, he is not playing, but that does not mean he will not play in the future."
Again, a third season in and he's having to prove himself on the training pitch. It just isn't happening for Mykhaylo Mudryk as a Chelsea player. And given the opinion of his current manager, there's been little light offered at the end of the tunnel.
In Ukraine, they say Mudryk has missed his "second father", Igor Jovicevic, who gave him his big chance at Shakhtar. It was under the Croatian that Mudryk played his best football, something we haven't seen since.
But it is something the player's new management team, Prostar, should have front and centre when considering their options ahead of the winter market. Manuel Pellegrini? Michel? Again, if Jovicevic is the type of coach Mudryk responds to, then they must choose wisely. Prostar weren't involved in the Chelsea deal, but they cannot afford to get this one wrong.
As we stated in past columns, Mudryk was never a €70m player. Nor was he going to tear up the Premier League as many claimed. But there is an exciting footballer in there. And there is still time to bring that out. But Mykhaylo Mudryk won't achieve that as a Chelsea player.