Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City are both 'interested' in Dynamo Kyiv starlet Matviy Ponomarenko ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports from Ukraine - with the youth player potentially on his way to England in the coming months.
Wolves are set to lose Matheus Cunha in the coming months, according to reports, whilst Leicester will be looking for a striker to replace club legend Jamie Vardy, who is set to depart after 13 years in the summer - and although Ponomarenko may not be ready to immediately take over, he could be a superb long-term option to bleed into the squad, given his comparisons to both Karim Benzema and Romelu Lukaku.
Report: Wolves, Leicester 'Interested' in Ponomarenko
The English duo are looking towards the future after their fates were sealed
Vitor Pereira
The report by Dynamo Kyiv UA states that Ponomarenko is of interest to the Midlands clubs, but having not played much for the first-team, it would be a signing for the future - even for Leicester, who will be playing Championship football next season after their shambolic second half of the campaign under Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Matviy Ponomarenko's Dynamo statistics - record by competition
Competition
Under-19 Premier Liga
Premier Liga
UEFA Youth League
Europa League
Ukrainian Cup
The 19-year-old came through the youth system at the Ukrainian giants, but with just 13 games for the first-team and two goals to boot, he may have to wait for his chance to burst into the senior squads should he move to England.
What is impressive is Ponomarenko's statistics at youth level. He registered eight goals in just five games for Kyiv's youth team at UEFA Youth League level, whilst 14 goals in just 20 outings in the under-19 Premier Liga have him as one of the best youth players in the country. He's been described as a 'complete striker', especially with 20 goals in just 25 outings at national team youth level, where he recently made his debut for the under-20 squad.
That has seen Wolves boss Vitor Pereira and Leicester's transfer chiefs take an interest, though the report further states that they are potentially looking to sign him and then loan him back to Kyiv or elsewhere.
Interest is growing, and although Wolves and Leicester have been 'name-checked', clubs in Portugal, Spain and Belgium are also taking a look. With a contract running out in December, Ponomarenko is able to start with clubs at the start of July in terms of a pre-contract - though that could also see him move for cheap in the summer.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 14-05-25.
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