Friday, 17th June, 2011
Shakhtar Donetsk have rejected an offer from English Premier League side Arsenal for their impressive Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa.
The Gunners had hoped to tempt the Ukrainian giants into parting with Costa by offering cash plus midfielder Denilson in part exchange according to the player’s agent.
Indeed, Cesar Bottega revealed that Shakhtar rejected Arsenal’s approach out of hand, as the Donbass Arena outfit do not want to lose the highly rated 20-year-old without a premium price being paid.
"Shakhtar said no", Bottega was quoted as saying. "They are not interested in Denilson and would want only money."
Costa’s brilliance was well known to English clubs even before Shakhtar won the race for his signature last year. Indeed, the former Gremio schemer had long been tracked by Manchester United.
Whether Arsenal will return with a better offer for Costa remains to be seen, but the Brazilian is also wanted by Serie A side Napoli.
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