Arsenal and Chelsea showed interest in goalkeeper Vladyslav Krapyvtsov before he agreed to join Girona on Thursday.
That’s according to Estadio Deportivo, who report Arsenal and Chelsea failing to sign the 19-year-old allowed the La Liga side to secure his services.
The stopper spent time at SC Dnipro-1’s academy and represented their U17 and U19s. He even made it to their first team squad on three occasions, but didn’t end up making his debut.
Krapyvtsov’s deal with the Ukrainian side expired in the summer and he was without a club until Girona signed him. During that period, his agent, Vadym Shablii, was working behind the scenes to help the youngster find a top club.
The Ukraine U19 international underwent trials at Arsenal and Chelsea and ended up convincing the two London clubs. Both were keen on signing him but couldn’t go ahead with the deal, according to the agent.
“We made a great effort and really wanted Vladyslav to continue his career in a big club in one of the main championships,” he said, as quoted by Estadio Deportivo.
“He recently had long trials with Premier League giants Chelsea and Arsenal, with both clubs interested in signing him. Unfortunately, regulatory restrictions blocked the signing.”
Shablii didn’t dwell into what exactly blocked the Gunners and the Blues to sign him, but it is probably related to a work permit.
On January 1st, Krapyvtsov will arrive at Girona, where he signed a contract until 2029.
On his client’s move to the Spanish club, Shablii explained: “We found Girona to be the right place for Vladyslav to progress in his career, as we are sure that it is an excellent option for his development.”
“We sincerely believe that Vladyslav will demonstrate his best qualities and maximum potential at the European level.”
