Barcelona Transfer News: Andriy Yarmolenko Snubs Arsenal Amid Blaugrana Rumours

Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko will reportedly turn down interest from Arsenal to keep his dream of playing for Barcelona alive.

That’s according to Toni Juanmarti of SPORT, who claimed the Ukraine international spoke to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger over the phone. It’s said that despite the contact, Yarmolenko's response was “I appreciate the interest, but my dream is to play for Barcelona.”

Here’s a look at what the Blaugrana would be getting should a deal for the Dynamo star go through:

In the piece from SPORT it’s suggested Barca might not be quite so keen on him, though. While Juanmarti refers to a genuine interest in the player, it’s noted the Camp Nou club will only move for Yarmolenko in January if they are “desperate.” As such, the Ukrainian is considering other offers, including “the most serious one” from Everton.

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TheEvertonForum.com did some digging to pull up Yarmolenko’s impressive goalscoring record for his longstanding employers, per Transfermarkt:

The winger is someone who would certainly excite the Camp Nou crowd. Yarmolenko is typically stationed out on the right flank for Dynamo, drifting inside to link up with play, taking on opposition defenders and, as is evident by the aforementioned statistics, making a tangible contribution in the final third.

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Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe thinks that whichever team ends up getting the 25-year-old would be unearthing one of European football’s most exciting lesser-known players:

After being at Dynamo for the entirety of his football career, it’s understandable that Yarmolenko may be keen on a brand new challenge. His peak years are approaching and while he’s shown his class time and time again in the Ukrainian top flight, it’s the right moment for him to test himself in a division that is potentially of a much higher standard.

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Barcelona will certainly be a tantalising proposition too. To go to a team that has such a rich history and the chance to challenge for top honours would be a huge draw for Yarmolenko and you suspect there’d be pride on the part of Kiev that he was leaving for such an illustrious football club.

Sport Witness are a little unsure about the validity of the reports emerging from the Catalan press, though:

Indeed, at the moment, the move to Barcelona may well be too big a jump for the player. If he was to agree a deal with the club in January, Yarmolenko would be fighting with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar and Arda Turan for a spot in the starting XI. Sitting on the bench week after week would do little for his overall development.

Moving to a club like Everton, where Yarmolenko would be afforded game time every week and a chance to show his worth in the Premier League, seems like the logical next step for a player of his pedigree. If he can replicate the standards he has shown for Kiev in English football’s top flight consistently, it won’t be long before Europe’s elite come calling.