New Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will have his work cut out this summer, making decisions on his preferred squad, and drilling his system into the new players ahead of their 2024/25 Premier League campaign, with the aim of returning to Champions League football.
The Blues have already seen the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tosin Adarabioyo, Omari Kellyman, and Marc Guiu join the club, whilst also seeing the likes of Ian Maatsen, Omari Hutchinson, and legendary defender Thiago Silva leave the club.
But rumours continue to circulate, as Chelsea look to complete their transfer business ready for pre-season, and it appears the attacking reinforcements could be next to come, with plenty of links to wingers and strikers.
Chelsea looking at Bundesliga forward
According to reports from Italian outlet Calciomercato, Chelsea are interested in Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi, but could face competition from Juventus and Thiago Motta who are also interested in the young attacker.
Juventus are reportedly also interested in Manchester United's Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood, which could leave Chelsea with a free run at Adeyemi if Dortmund are willing to negotiate for the 22-year-old.
Further reports from Italy suggest Chelsea are in 'constant contact' with the player's entourage and they now view him as their 'main target'.
Adeyemi made 34 appearances for Dortmund in all competitions last season, scoring five goals, providing two assists, and totalling 1,710 minutes for the German outfit. He was predominantly deployed off the left but did also make eight appearances from the right and two appearances through the middle.
How Adeyemi compares to Mudryk
From a G/A perspective, Mudryk is quite similar to Adeyemi, making 41 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring seven goals, and providing two assists in 2,015 minutes.
Both players also possess frightening levels of speed, clocking speeds in the top 15 of fastest players in the world. Mudryk comes in at 10th, whilst Adeyemi ranks 13th in this list.
And the comparisons don't stop there, as Fbref has them down as the number one "similar player" to each other in their compare players feature.
Mudryk thrives when he has space to drive into, whether that's coming inside or down the touchline. The Ukrainian averages 5.25 progressive carries per 90, and 2.23 successful take-ons per 90, and these are two of his most impressive metrics.
Adeyemi's best stats also come in this area, averaging 4.33 progressive carries per 90, and 1.72 successful take-ons per 90. However, the German has a better understanding of using his speed, the timing of his runs to get in behind, and making that physical asset one of his biggest strengths.
This has been a weakness of Mudryk in recent seasons, struggling to harness that pace, gain control, and time his runs to help his team. His movement feels less natural, and he is much more comfortable coming to feet, than using that pace to stretch defences in behind.
Where Adeyemi would need to improve is his final ball and decision-making, in order to make him a more creative asset than just an "electric" winger, as he was coined by analyst Ben Mattinson.
The Dortmund star averages 1.28 key passes per 90, 0.78 passes into the final third, and only 2.17 crosses per 90. Compared to Mudryk, who makes 1.83 key passes per 90, 1.37 passes into the final third, and 4.45 crosses per 90.
Whilst it wouldn't make any sense for Chelsea to have both Mudryk and Adeyemi on the books, in the case that Mudryk was moved on, Adeyemi could be a similar asset, with the potential to mold him into far more.
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