Due to the political situation in Ukraine at this current time, many players who are not Ukrainian natives, but who play for Ukrainian clubs, are seeking transfers elsewhere. League Champions Shakhtar Donetsk will be feeling the effects most strongly, as many of their players are Brazilian. As such, these players have requested transfers, and here’s three of them who Arsenal should snap up.
1. Fernando
Fernando is a defensive midfielder who has 8 caps for Brazil, but was not included in their World Cup squad, with players such as Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo deemed more suitable. However, it is no doubt that Fernando is a talented midfielder, and has a big future in the Brazilian national team. He is just 22 years old, and has impressed during his time at Shakhtar, whom he joined from Gremio for 11 million Euros in 2013. Fernando has been the subject of top European clubs already, most notably Fiorentina of Serie A.
Fernando was not one of the six players who refused to return to the Ukrainian club due to the political conflict with Russia. However, this should simply be seen as a good sign, as he is clearly a player who is committed to his club. However, as Fernando’s agent has recently stipulated, the midfielder could be available for transfer, and with Arsenal on the look out for a defensive midfielder, Fernando could fit the bill.
An offer of approximately £15m could be enough to tempt Shakhtar into selling the player, whose contract runs until 2018. Fernando would no doubt be interested in a transfer, so the deal is certainly plausible should Arsène Wenger harbour an interest in the youngster. Arsenal’s current holding midfielders are Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini, but with both players in the twilight of their respective careers, a fresh, young player to revamp the Gunners’ midfield could be exactly what Arsenal need. Use the page numbers below to navigate through the rest of the article.