Shakhtar Donestsk’s Brazilian attacking midfielder Douglas Costa says he wants move to the Premier League in order to experience a new challenge in his life.
The 24-year-old reveals that offers from Premier weights Manchester United & Chelsea were refused in the last transfer window.
Costa has played almost 200 times for the Ukraine club since 2010 and has a huge buy-out clause, in the north of €50m.
Chelsea had put an offer €20m on the table for his services last winter, but that was not enough to tempt Shakhtar entering into any sort of negotiation.
“Willian had all that trouble and his release clause was €35 million,” Costa says as quoted by Four Four Two in an exclusive interview. “If you think that mine is even bigger, around €50m, you can imagine that it won’t be any easier. I’ve also had talks with other sides like Milan and Monaco throughout this time, but none of them have reached the price asked by Shakhtar.”
However, the Brazilian is now determined to leave the Donbass Arena and fulfil the potential he’s blessed with.
“I’d be really interested in moving to Chelsea – not only because everything Willian tells me about the club, but because I think that I’d be able to achieve everything I want having someone like Jose Mourinho by my side,” he said.
“Since I left Brazil, I have worked with a marvellous coach [Mircea Lucescu] and got an idea of how much influence such a good professional can have in your football. Now I think it’s time to try a new philosophy and I’m sure that Mourinho’s is the best around He’s always fighting for trophies.”
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is expected to be given another massive transfer budget in the summer but whether Costa features in his plans remains to be seen.
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