Yevhen Konoplyanka: Coming to a Premier League near you
England’s 1-1 draw with Ukraine on Tuesday night saw fans come to a number of conclusions; Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard still can’t play together, Jermain Defoe can play the lone striker role and Yevhen Konoplyanka can hit a ball. The pint sized Tottenham Hotspur striker thought he had given England the lead after 10 minutes, only to see his effort chalked off for a supposed foul on Andriy Yarmolenko.
Konoplyanka then took it upon himself to give Ukraine the lead. He received the ball on the left before cutting in and lashing an unstoppable effort past Joe Hart in the England goal. It saw fans stand up and take notice of the youngster, who has been dubbed the ‘Ukrainian Lionel Messi’. Yet, the 22-year-old has been raising eyebrows across Europe for some time now.
Currently of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, managed by the unforgettable Juande Ramos, Konoplyanka has been attracting interest from potential Premier League suitors for months now. The former Sevilla and Spurs boss is keen to hold onto his prized asset and in March last year, slapped an astonishing €50m price-tag upon his head.
It hasn’t halted the interest, with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea both reported to be keen on the youngster. During the European Championship, he show cased his talent when given the opportunity, but his goal on Tuesday would surely have seen his stock rise considerably. Understandably, it’s difficult to judge a player from one goal, but Konoplyanka isn’t a one-goal wonder.
At just 22, he is still learning, but he appears to be learning fast. His directness, pace and dribbling capability render him almost perfect for any possible Premier League suitor, but he is very much a diamond in the rough. Whether he moves in January or next summer, it remains to be seen but, a move is surely just over the horizon for Konoplyanka.
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