According to reports from The Daily Star yesterday evening, Barcelona will launch a £14.5million bid for Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko when their transfer embargo is lifted in January.
The 25 year-old is widely regarded as one of the prominent talents outside of Europe’s leading top flights, having claimed the Ukrainian Footballer of the Year award and the Ukrainian Premier League’s Player of the Year award twice each since 2011.
Arsenal and Everton were both mooted as potential suitors of the Ukraine international, who boasts 19 goals and 42 caps for his country, during the summer – with Arsene Wenger reportedly phoning Yarmolenko personally to try and persuade him into an Emirates switch.
But Barcelona’s long-term interested is also well known and according to The Daily Star, they’re now preparing a January swoop that will activate Yarmolenko’s £14.5million release clause.
The European champions have been under a transfer embargo for the last two windows as punishment for breaching UEFA youth recruitment laws, but will be allowed to sign players again in the new year. Yarmolenko appears to be at the top of their list, as a direct replacement for now-Chelsea star Pedro.
The Kiev winger is widely expected to agree a move to the Nou Camp, having recently declared; “my dream is to play for Barcelona.”
yea….it’s a welcum development… gr8 1 for barca ova dere…luv dat