Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur were willing to pay £25 million for Ukraine international Illya Zabarnyi but Dynamo Kiev are holding out for more, as reported via Football24.
It’s a testament to the new-found strength and depth of this Spurs backline that Clement Lenglet, a loan signing from Barcelona, cannot seem to buy a start right now. If he cannot force his way into Antonio Conte’s XI, what chance would Zabarnyi have?
Still just 19, the teenager was urged to avoid a big-money move to England in the final days of the window. There would have been a few sighs of relief emanating from the Ukrainian capital, then, when the shutters came down on Thursday night with Zabarnyi very much still a Dynamo Kiev player.
According to reports, Tottenham offered £25 million for Zabarnyi. But, with four years remaining on his contract, Dynamo opted to retain one of the most talented young defenders in Eastern Europe; in the hope that his price-tag will increase even further in the coming months and years.
Tottenham Hotspur are big fans of Illya Zabarnyi
“Zabarnyi is a good player. He is serious about football and has to grow,” says former Ukraine coach Jozhef Sabo of a rangy, two-footed centre-half who already has 22 caps at international level.
“I think he is more expensive (than £25 million). It is clear that he is a (talented) football player. He plays great, has speed. In a year or two, Zabarnyi will cost 50 million euros.”
“I think he will not play for Dynamo for more than a year. He’ll be bought by a European giant,” adds veteran tactician Vyacheslav Hroznyi.
“This defender is fast, well-balanced, technical, and plays well. He doesn’t break the rules much. If I were Pep Guardiola, I would take him to Manchester City.
“Why? Because they only have Ruben Dias, (as) a high-level central defender.”
Tottenham could face a lot more competition for Zabarnyi if they renew their interest in a future window. He is unlikely to stay below the radar for long. If Dynamo had accepted that £25 million offer, the 19-year-old would have become Spurs’ second big-money teenager of the summer.
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