A striker who was linked with a £30 million transfer to Leeds United, and a host of other Premier League teams, has opened up on the summer transfer window.
Daniel Farke was left frustrated at the end of transfer deadline day as Leeds failed to bring in the attacking reinforcements he so desperately craved after a deal for Harry Wilson collapsed.
Ultimately, Leeds managed to bring in Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to strengthen their attack. Both have enjoyed a lively start to their careers, with Jermaine Beckford singling Calvert-Lewin out for praise.
Igor Paixao’s struggles this season show that a big price tag is not a guarantee of success, and that is what Leeds would have had to pay to sign Roma’s Artem Dovbyk in the summer.
Now, the Ukrainian forward has opened up on the reports linking him with a move to the Premier League after he scored his first goal of the season.
Photo by Fabio Rossi/AS Roma via Getty ImagesArtem Dovbyk opens up on link to the Premier League
Speaking in his post-match press conference, via TMW, after scoring in the seventh minute of Roma’s win over Hellas Verona, Dovbyk admitted that Roma had tried to sell him in the summer.
The arrival of Evan Ferguson has pushed Dovbyk down the pecking order in the Italian capital, but he is determined to fight for his place in the team after missing out on a transfer away.
Dovbyk said: “Evan and I push each other, we’ll both grow. Many have spoken to me: they were going to sell me to all the clubs; luckily, the transfer window is over. Now I’m more focused, I know the role I have here and I want to enjoy it.”
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Asked what it meant to score again after nearly leaving the club in the summer, Dovbyk added: “It means a lot. I’ve been under a lot of pressure since day one. I never gave up, I seized the opportunity. I’m happy.”
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images£30m Leeds United target shows his class with first goal
Dovbyk wasted no time in making his mark on his first start of the season as he found the net within the first 10 minutes of the game.
Connecting with a header that was floated into the back post, Dovbyk powered the ball back across the goal and into the far corner.
Having been linked with Dovbyk so persistently throughout the summer, Leeds will surely be keeping a close eye on his progress as the season progresses, to see if he becomes available again.
However, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin now committed to the club, the route to the Leeds first team is not simple for Dovbyk, as he may face a similar battle as the one he is currently locked in with Ferguson at Roma.