Brentford manager Thomas Frank has called Mykhaylo Mudryk’s price tag ‘insane’ after Chelsea completed an £88m deal for the winger.
Mudryk was a transfer target for Brentford last summer after an exciting emergence at Shakhtar Donetsk, before the 22-year-old’s value rocketed following a series of explosive performances in the Champions League’s group stage this season.
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Arsenal were also interested in a deal for the Ukraine international, before Chelsea hijacked the Gunners’ deal and completed a transfer that makes Mudryk the fifth-most expensive Premier League player of all time.
Discussing Mudryk’s move to Stamford Bridge, Frank said that Chelsea ‘have enough wingers’ and that football’s transfer fees have become ‘insane’.
“I think that there is a lot of money around in the football world and especially in the Premier League,” Frank said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Brentford’s trip to Leeds.
“Looking from the outside, I think Mudryk is a really good player, but 100 million…that’s a lot for a player who is showing great, great signs of potential, probably needs to do a bit more, but maybe that’s just the price tag these days, which I think is insane.
"That's just the price tag these days which is insane"
Thomas Frank says new Chelsea player Mykhailo Mudryk is a really good player but believes it is a lot of money for potential 💰 pic.twitter.com/qxUM1Fn5aB
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 20, 2023
“They’ve bought Noni [Madueke] as well. I think they have enough wingers, but that’s their issue.”
Frank was asked whether he would spend such a sum on Mudryk if resources were available and suggested Chelsea’s investment represents a risk.
“I really hope I could say no [I would never spend so much], but there is a market out there and sometimes you need a player, because of a bidding war, the price goes up.
“What now looks like a very, very expensive player, even though he has huge potential, with his CV it is a lot of money, or maybe he is worth the money in two years time.”
Read – Player Analysis: Why Chelsea’s purchase of Mykhaylo Mudryk is a big risk
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