According to reports from Sky Sports, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has denied he’s targeting Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko.
The 25 year-old boasts a potent return of 103 goals in 274 appearances for the Ukrainian outfit and was linked with a shock Chelsea move last week, after manager Jose Mourinho was spotted in the stands during Ukraine’s 1-0 defeat to Spain on Monday evening.
However, the Blues face Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League tomorrow night and the Portuguese sought to deny interest during his pre-match press conference, telling reporters; “Why? When Chelsea has Pedro, Eden Hazard, Willian, Kenedy, Bertrand Traore and [on loan] Juan Cuadrado and Victor Moses. We cannot make a collection of wingers. When people want to make rumours they have to find players in positions where we don’t have so many.”
The Chelsea gaffer’s response is perhaps unsurprising, considering the 52-cap international signed a five-year contract with Kiev on Friday.
Yet, Mourinho’s presence at the international fixture still has many speculating and Shaktar Donetsk manager Mircea Lucescu believes he was scouting Yarmolenko’s international team-mate Yevhen Konoplyanka instead.
The 26 year-old moved to Sevilla during the summer after helping Ukrainian side Dnipro reach the 2015 Europa League final, but his contract is known to include a €40million release clause.
Lucescu said earlier this week; “Mourinho is interested in Yevhen Konoplyanka. I was at Ukraine versus Spain with Mourinho and he is interested in some players. Perhaps it is Yarmolenko or Teixeira, if not, then it is Konoplyanka.”