Chelsea have seen an opening bid of £16million rejected for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Douglas Costa, according to the player himself. Brazilian star Costa confirmed on Thursday night that the Barclays Premier League leaders had been in touch about a move to Stamford Bridge – one that the 24-year-old describes as a ‘dream’. But with Chelsea seeking a cheaper option to Fiorentina’s £27m-rated Juan Cuadrado, Costa’s Ukrainian employers are not keen on letting one of their top players go on the cheap. Shakhtar Donetsk's Douglas Costa says it would be a 'dream' to play for Premier League leaders Chelsea The Blues have had a £16m bid for the 24-year-old (right) already rejected by the Ukrainian club
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Chelsea launched a £16million bid for Shakhtar Donetsk's Douglas Costa
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Costa is expected to play in Shakhtar's friendly vs Internacional on Friday
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Blues are also interested in Fiorentina's £27m-rated Juan Cuadrado
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@placeholder champions Shakhtar are known to difficult to negotiate with, making it perhaps unsurprising that Chelsea’s bid, understood to be £16m, was rejected.