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Mudryk next? An amazing XI of players sold by Shakhtar in recent years

Ben Stewart •

Shakhtar Donetsk have quite the track record for developing youngsters into stars and they have sold several huge names over the past few years.

Arsenal are now stepping up their interest in Mykhailo Mudryk, who could be the next player to leave the Ukrainian club for a big fee. The winger has attracted interest from around Europe and he looks like the real deal.

We’ve gone back through the years and picked out an amazing XI of players that have been sold by Shakhtar Donetsk in recent times.

GK: Stipe Pletikosa

Pletikosa is the fourth most-capped Croatian player of all time with 114 international caps to his name. The goalkeeper spent four years with the Ukrainian club before being sold to Spartak Moscow in 2007.

He was sold for just under £3million and he even had a brief loan spell in the Premier League with Tottenham back in 2010-11.

RB: Dodo

In the summer transfer window, Shakhtar cashed in on Brazilian full-back Dodo for around £12.5million. The 24-year-old is now playing for Fiorentina and has adapted well to life in Italy so far.

Last year both Arsenal and Spurs were reportedly weighing up a move for the right-back and they could resurface their interest if he continues to excel in the Serie A.

CB: Dmytro Chygrynskyi

Barcelona splashed out around £22million for Chygrynskyi back in 2009 and it’s fair to say that his career in Spain was fairly short-lived. The defender spent just one year with Barcelona before returning to Shakhtar in 2010.

He did manage to win two trophies whilst in Spain, including the 2009-10 La Liga title, but he struggled to gain a place in the team over Gerard Pique, Rafael Marquez and Carles Puyol.

READ: Ranking Pep Guardiola’s 17 signings at Barcelona from worst to best

CB: Yaroslav Rakitskyi

Rakitskyi won eight league titles with Shakhtar throughout his nine-year stay with the club. The defender, who has been capped 54 times by Ukraine, joined Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2019 in a controversial move. He left the Russian club in the Spring of 2022 following the invasion of his home country.

LB: Ismaily

Brazilian full-back Ismaily racked up over 200 appearances for Shakhtar and is now playing for Ligue 1 club Lille.

The 32-year-old has started the season well with three goal contributions to his name already.

CM: Fred

Back in 2018, Fred was one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe and a move to Manchester City was even on the cards at one stage.

The Brazilian midfielder told FourFourTwo: “They [Man City] were trying to convince me to join them, but in the end it didn’t happen. Then it was the summer and, as I said, there were other offers, including from United. I quickly decided that was the right move for me.”

In the end, Man United splashed out a reported £47million for the Brazilian midfielder who has had plenty of ups and downs during his time at Old Trafford so far.

CM: Fernandinho

Man City got their recruitment spot on with this one as the £34million they paid in 2013 for Fernandinho proved to be a bargain in the end. The midfielder won 13 trophies with City and made over 380 appearances for the club.

Fernandinho of Manchester City during the Champions League match against Sporting at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, 9th March 2022.

READ: A tribute to Fernandinho, Man City’s Brazilian who sh*t on stereotypes

CAM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Mkhitaryan became Borussia Dortmund’s most expensive purchase in the club’s history back in 2013 when they splashed out £23.6million on the Armenian playmaker.

The midfielder was especially prolific during his final season with Shakhtar as he scored 29 goals in the 2012-13 season. Mkhitaryan never quite flourished during his spells with Manchester United and Arsenal, although he did produce a few moments of brilliance like this.

RW: Willian

Willian made a name for himself at Shakhtar and was picked up by Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013 for around £30million. Due to financial reasons, the Russian club soon had to sell the Brazilian winger and he was soon snapped up by Chelsea.

With 125 goal contributions across 339 appearances at Stamford Bridge, we’d say Chelsea got an excellent return on their original £30million investment. The less said about his brief Arsenal stint the better.

ST: Luiz Adriano

Having scored 128 goals for Shakhtar across 266 appearances, AC Milan decided to pursue a move for the striker in 2015. The Italian club struck a deal for just £7million, but he ultimately struggled to replicate his form in Italy.

The Brazilian scored just six goals for Milan during his one-and-a-half-year stay with the club before he was ultimately shipped to Spartak Moscow in January 2017.

LW: Douglas Costa

Costa has won 11 league titles throughout his career with three different clubs. The winger made a name for himself in Europe with Shakhtar and was snapped up by Bayern Munich in 2015 for around £26million.

These days Costa is playing for LA Galaxy in the MLS, but the streets won’t forget just how good he was during his peak.

READ NEXT: Everything you need to know about Arsenal target Mykhaylo Mudryk

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 25 most expensive transfers of all time?

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