AFC Bournemouth enter €20m transfer tussle with Arsenal for 23-year-old

Championship outfit AFC Bournemouth have entered the race to recruit Shakhtar Donetsk full-back Dodo, as per a report from UOL.

The 23-year-old spent the early stages of his career in his home nation Brazil, but made the move to Ukraine in 2018, going out on loan to Vitoria de Guimaraes during his first season there but remaining with the first-team squad ever since.

This term, he has been one of the first names on the teamsheet for his domestic side, plying his trade not only in the Ukrainian top division but also participating in the Champions League where he came up against previous winners Real Madrid.

Unfortunately, Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the country has left the right-sided player with an uncertain future and despite the ongoing war, his current side are thought to be keen on retaining him.

So much so, they aren’t willing to part with the former Brazilian youth international for less than €20m, a sizeable sum the Cherries may only be able to afford if they win promotion back to the Premier League at the end of this term, something they are currently on course to do.

However, they aren’t the only ones in this race with Dodo being the subject of numerous enquiries recently, and top-tier giants Arsenal are one team thought to be pursuing him as well as the south-coast outfit.

As per this same report from UOL, the 23-year-old is yet to decide his next career move, potentially allowing Scott Parker’s men to prepare an offer.

The Verdict:

The full-back’s safety has to come first, so it would be nothing short of a relief to see him either leave his currently country or see the nation escape the clutches of war, with the latter obviously being preferable for the sake of the Ukrainian people.

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