“It’s not the player’s fault” - Ex-Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe jumps to defense of Chelsea star amid criticism

Former Arsenal attacker Nicolas Pepe has defended Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk amid criticism of the Ukrainian winger. Mudryk has returned to pre-season early following his country's Euro 2024 campaign.

While he wasn't a part of Enzo Maresca's squad that drew 2-2 against Wrexham in their pre-season clash, Mudryk has often been criticized for his performances since the switch to Stamford Bridge.

Pepe has now claimed that Mudryk's price tag puts extra pressure on the player, something similar that happened to him at the Emirates. He told BBC Sport (via The Chelsea Chronicle):

"If Arsenal bought me for £20 million, maybe it'd be different, it's not the player's fault. They don't ask for £100 million or £90 million. But that's how it is in the football world and it's something people can't understand."

Pepe further claimed that players like Mudryk and Antony are not bad. However, they have added burden due to the hefty price tags.

Mudryk was signed by the Blues in a deal worth up to £89 million. He has since scored seven goals and has provided four assists in 58 appearances. Despite showing flashes of his quality, Mudryk has lacked consistency.

Pepe faced a similar fate during his Arsenal career. He was signed for £72 million and scored 27 goals and provided 21 assists in 112 appearances.

Price tags often add extra expectations on players from fans. Players like Pepe and Mudryk have been victims of that as they have always been under the scanner.

Arsenal-bound Riccardo Calafiori once namedropped Chelsea as a club he liked

Arsenal are set to complete a deal for Italy international Riccardo Calafiori. Calafiori, currently at Bologna, played for FC Basel for a while. In a 2022 interview, when he was still at Basel, Calafiori made an admission with Cronache di Spogliatoio.

He claimed that returning to Italy or joining Chelsea or West Ham would be his dream scenario. The Euro 2024 star said (via Liverpool.com):

"I have two images in my mind. [One] going back to Italy. [Second is] to play in the Premier League [with] Chelsea or West Ham."

Calafiori returned to Italy to play for Bologna and is now set to arrive in the Premier League. He is joining Arsenal despite the Blues showing interest in acquiring his services.