Yevhen Konoplyanka is set to snub a summer transfer to Liverpool and sign for their Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports.
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The highly-rated Ukrainian winger is out of contract with last season’s Europa League finalists Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk at the end of this month and has been linked with a host of top European clubs including the Reds and La Liga outfit Sevilla [via Metro Sport].
However, it would appear that Spurs have won the race to sign the 25-year-old as Eurosport claim he is set to sign for the North London outfit next week should he complete a medical.
Should this deal go through, Konoplyanka will become Mauricio Pochettino’s third summer signing after already completing deals for defensive duo Kevin Wimmer and Kieran Trippier, from FC Koln and Burnley respectively.
Konoplyanka played a key role in Dnipro’s route to the Europa League final last season as he scored once and created three more in 15 games in that competition.
He has developed a knack for scoring impressive long-range efforts including a stunning strike for Ukraine against England at Wembley in 2012.
Liverpool were understood to be considering the winger as a potential replacement for Raheem Sterling [Express], whose future at the club is very uncertain at the moment [Mirror].
With Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino officially confirmed as the club’s fifth signing of the summer, there is speculation that Sterling could be on his way out of Anfield very soon [via SkySports].
Manchester City have already seen two bids rejected for the international [via BBC Sport], but a third and final offer is expected in the coming days [via Mail Sport].
Premier League champions Chelsea have also registered their interest in the 20-year-old [via SkySports], but have warned the Merseyside outfit that they will only table a maximum bid of £40 million.
As the majority of clubs will return for pre-season training within the next two weeks, Sterling’s future could be resolved sooner rather than later.