There are few things Roberto De Zerbi and his big personality love more than proving people wrong, and he is the kind of character who likes to have his guys and believe in them. Already, De Zerb has gotten Tottenham Hotspur to assemble a squad of his chosen players, spending premium fees to sign Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali - two key, established Premier League players who see the Italian manager as a father figure.
But De Zerbi saved his biggest gamble for last. Tonali and Van Hecke were not controversial signings despite some criticisms over the fees, but Mykhaylo Mudryk was a real twist that many did not see coming at the end of the window.
With the Iliman Ndiaye deal falling apart and the Senegalese winger choosing Manchester City instead, De Zerbi and Tottenham pivoted to Chelsea's monumental transfer bust Mudryk, who had been a young star for De Zerbi back in the day at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Roberto De Zerbi can feed his ego with Mudryk
A suspension and two years without playing have left Mudryk at a career crossroads, especially since he struggled badly for Chelsea since his blockbuster signing from Shakhtar, showing nothing near the quality that made him a coveted left winger prospect for the Todd Boehly project.
But Roberto De Zerbi is a believer in Mykhaylo Mudryk, and whlie a loan deal with an option to buy is not a real gamble for Tottenham Hotspur, when you consider Spurs could have signed many wingers who have been better recently, such as Sunderland bound Malick Fofana from Ligue 1, the deal for the Ukrainian international definitely looks bolder.
De Zerbi is as bold as it gets, though, and he knows that if he can be the one to turn the incredibly athletic Mudryk, whose pace and strength combination is one of the most tantalizing in world football, then he will have sent a devastating message to the rest of the Premier League about both his managerial prowess and the quality of a footballer he has always loved.
And while Mudryk is no longer a young prospect in the sport, he still has plenty of upside because of the untapped potential that De Zerbi now believes he can extract out of the former Chelsea man. De Zerbi has to be salivating at the opportunity to be seen as the genius who finally turned his prodigal son into a world class Premier League baller.
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