Ranking the 5 most expensive Shakhtar Donetsk departures
Shakhtar Donetsk is one of the professional clubs belonging to the Ukrainian Premier League. The club, which was founded in 1936, has enjoyed a fruitful journey so far, becoming one of the best in the country.
They are also the only club alongside Dynamo Kyiv from Ukraine to have won a major European competition.
Shakhtar Donetsk are a frequent visitor in the Champions League
The club have been a dominant force in their respective league and are regular participants in the Champions League. Along with success, the club have also produced some world-class players.
🔥 It’s the @ChampionsLeague week! 🧡
The super match against Inter this Wednesday!
⚽️ #InterShakhtar 📅 November 24 ⏰ 18:45 CET 📍 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
#Shakhtar #UCL https://t.co/8SjXk7okuN
These players have been their revenue makers as top clubs have spent millions to land them. On that note, let us take a look at five of the most expensive sales made by Shakhtar Donetsk:
#5 Douglas Costa - €30 million
The Brazilian winger is one of the fastest players to have graced the game. Making his debut for Gremio, Costa joined Shakhtar Donetsk in 2010. The spell there could be termed his most successful as he went on to win 11 trophies in six years.
Bayern Munich were attracted by his talent and signed him for €30 million in 2015, making him the then fourth most expensive signing at the German club. The 31-year-old winger enjoyed a successful spell under Pep Guardiola.
Douglas Costa in 2017/18 among Serie A players :
0.38 xA p90 🥇
11.9 progressive carries p90 🥉
4.17 successful dribbles p90 🥇
Prime D. Costa was special 🕺🇧🇷 https://t.co/LKCnmgruJM
However, a year later Carlo Ancelotti was appointed, who preferred veteran Franck Ribery over him. Since then he has had an unsettling career moving from one place to another. After joining Juventus in 2018, he spent a year with Bayern, and is currently on loan at Gremio.
#4 Willian - €35 million
Another Brazilian who made a big money move from Shakhtar Donetsk was Willian. The 33-year-old winger was one of the lucky few at the club who lifted their only European trophy, the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League) in 2009.
After six prosperous years, he joined Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, who spent €35 million for him in 2013. Surprisingly, he only lasted there for three months. The club had to undergo a financial restructuring, because of which they transferred their whole squad, including their most expensive purchase.
Thankfully, he had a terrific career ahead of him as Premier League giants Chelsea signed him during the 2013-14 transfer window. His trophy-laden spell at Stamford Bridge was the only successful one besides his time at Shakhtar Donetsk.