Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk sign Kayode Olanrewaju from Manchester City in five year deal

UKRAINIAN giants Shakhtar Donetsk have signed Nigerian striker Kayode Olanrewaju from English Premier League side Manchester City ahead of the forthcoming season for an undisclosed fee.

Olanrewaju, 25, who was signed by City boss Pep Guardiola in a £3.5m deal from Austria Vienna last August, has agreed a five-year deal with the Ukrainian champions. Since joining the Blues, Olanrewaju did not make a single appearance as he was immediately loaned out to Spanish club Girona before moving to Shakhtar in a similar deal this March.

A lanky and pacy targetman, Olanrewaju scored three goals in eight games during his Shakhtar loan spell. He has four Nigerian caps and had been hopeful of making the Super Eagles squad that will be prosecuting the World Cup but was one of those strikers head coach Gernot Rohr had to drop.

Shakhtar general director Sergei Palkin, said: "Kayode will continue to play for Shakhtar. We redeemed him from Manchester City and he has signed a five-year contract.  He proved himself well and Paulo Fonseca, the Shakhtar manager is pleased with him."

A former youth international, Olanrewaju played for the Golden Eaglets team at the 2009 U17 World Cup. On 3 May 2010, he earned his first call-up for the U-20 team, the Flying Eagles for the African Youth Championship qualifiers in Libya.

Olanrewaju made his debut for the senior Nigerian national football team in a friendly 1-1 draw with Senegal in London on March 23 2017. Coming on as a second half substitute in that game, he dazzled the fans with his energetic and pacy runs, which troubled the Senegalese defence and helped Nigeria secure a late equaliser.