According to The Telegraph, Brighton and Hove Albion are in talks to sign 26-year-old Ukraine international, Mykola Matviyenko.
The Shakhtar Donetsk centre-back has previously worked under the current Brighton manager, Roberto De Zerbi.
Matviyenko is a long-term target for the Italian manager but Shakhtar are demanding more than £20m for the Ukrainian which represents a significant difference in valuation between the two clubs.
Following the injury sustained to Levi Colwill, Brighton’s need for a centre-back has certainly become more apparent.
The seagulls currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League and remain in the hunt for European qualification.
Following Brighton’s 2-2 away draw at Leicester City last weekend, De Zerbi spoke about the current belief among the team: “We can fight for a high position. To arrive, I don’t know, but it’s clear that we are a good team, we believe in ourselves and we are strong.”
Just over eight days remain in the January transfer window and Brighton will of course hope to secure the signature of Matviyenko before then.
Mark Marston | Get Football
