Premier League trio chase Ukrainian superstar Andriy Yarmolenko – is a move likely?

Add as preferred source on Google

The Sun are reporting that Andriy Yarmolenko could finally be set for a move to the Premier League with a host of clubs prepared to battle for his signature.

The Ukrainian superstar has often been linked with a move to English football but any potential transfers have been scuppered either by the player’s excessive wage demands or by Dynamo Kiev’s notoriously difficult negotiating stance. Tottenham and Stoke City have both attempted to broker a deal for the talented winger in the past without success.

However, The Sun are indicating that Dynamo are now prepared to cash-in on their prize asset and that Yarmolenko could be available for as little as £9,000,000, although the player’s wage demands of £100,000 per week would still remain a stumbling block for many clubs.

The 27-year-old’s availability has attracted the interest of a host of club’s across Europe including Premier League rivals Everton, Tottenham and Stoke City with the Merseyside outfit thought to be leading the race for the Ukrainian’s signature.

What would he bring?

Yarmolenko has emerged as one of the most exciting attacking talents in Europe over the past half-decade despite his career being limited to football in Ukraine.

The winger has scored 119 goals and supplied 81 assists in 314 appearances for Kiev since joining in December 2006 and so far this season the 27-year-old has found the net on five occasions and provided four assists in 19 matches.

On that basis, Yarmolenko either scores or creates a goal on average at least once in every two appearances that he makes. He provides creativity and a permanent goal threat in the final third of the pitch with his pace, trickery and direct style of play being incredibly exciting for supporters to witness.

However, questions remain as to whether Yarmolenko’s can transfer his goalscoring and assist record into one of Europe’s leading leagues having spent his entire professional career operating in Ukrainian football.

He certainly appears to possess the physical attributes and technical ability to thrive in the Premier League, although the same was said for his former international colleague Andriy Shevchenko who struggled to adapt to English football whilst at Chelsea.

Is a move likely?

It is difficult to say.

Dynamo Kiev have proven to be a notoriously difficult club to negotiate with in the past and it seems unlikely that the Ukrainian high-flyers would release their prize asset for anything other than an excessively high transfer fee. Yarmolenko is contracted with the club until the summer of 2020 so there would appear to be little reason for Kiev to sell on the cheap unless they are keen to unload the player’s pricey deal off their wage bill. Either way it would be astonishing if an English club could push through a deal before the end of the January transfer window.

What is the final verdict?

Yarmolenko has an extraordinary record in Ukrainian football but it remains to be seen whether he can transfer his form across to one of Europe’s high-profile leagues. He does possess the physical and technical attributes to excel at the highest level, as demonstrated by his performances for the international side, and his direct-running style of play will certainly suite the all-action, high intensity nature of English football. The winger will undoubtedly have a host of club’s interested in securing his services but it would be difficult to push through any potential deal before the transfer window closes in a few days’ time.

5/10 – Possible, although it would be an impressive feat for any Premier League club to push through such a high-profile transfer at this late stage in the transfer window).

Featured Image: All Rights Reserved Vincent Wong (Vincent Wong)