Shakhtar capture promising Gladkiy
Friday, June 8, 2007
Article summary
FC Shakhtar Donetsk have signed promising Ukrainian youth international Olexandr Gladkiy from FC Kharkiv on a five-year contract worth €2.5 million.
Article body
Teenage striker
The contract, which will give Shakhtar 75 per cent ownership of the striker's registration and leave the remaining 25 per cent with the selling club, will come into force on 18 June after the end of the Ukrainian league season. Gladkiy was on the books of FC Metalist Kharkiv before joining FC Arsenal Kharkiv, latterly renamed FC Kharkiv, in the 2004/05 season and the 19-year-old has been one of the league's leading goalscorers this season with eleven strikes in 27 appearances. With two rounds of the season remaining Kharkiv are placed 13th in the Premier League while Shakhtar are in second place, six points adrift of leaders FC Dynamo Kyiv. Mircea Lucescu's side will start the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League campaign in the third qualifying round in the event that they finish as runners-up to FC Dynamo Kyiv in the league.