AC Milan are interested in taking Shakhtar Donetsk’s midfielder Douglas Costa to the San Siro after the Brazilian stated he did not wish to return to the politically chaotic Ukraine.
Costa was one of six players who reportedly refused to board a plane back to Ukraine as they feared that they would not be entirely safe in the region. Following this, Costa’s potential availability has interested Milan who have reportedly met with the player’s agent over a move to the Italian giants.
Sky Sport 24 reported that Costa, who is also interesting Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in England, will not return to Shakhtar despite the club announcing that it will play its home matches in the western city of Lviv to avoid the current conflict surrounding Donetsk- where pro-Russian rebels are currently occupied.
The 23-year-old has been with Shakhtar since 2010, winning five straight Ukrainian titles and reaching the Champions League quarterfinals in 2010-11.
Costa’s fellow Brazilians Fred, Dentinho, Alex Teixiera and Ismaily, and the Argentinian striker Facundo Ferreyra, also remained in France following a friendly against Lyon on Saturday.
The Ukrainian Premier League season, which starts on Friday, has been reduced from 16 teams to 14 after its two Crimean clubs withdrew at the end of last season following Russia’s annexation of the peninsula. Besides Shakhtar, three other teams Metalurh Donetsk, Olimpik Donetsk and Zorya Luhansk are based in cities controlled by rebels, and will use stadiums in other cities because of the conflict.
