ESPNsoccernet: Transfers

Shakhtar Donetsk and Ukraine defender Dmytro Chygrynsky has turned down Barcelona's offer to join the Spanish club, preferring to stay with this year's UEFA Cup winners.

"I fully understand that Barcelona doesn't make such proposals everyday just to anyone. This is an important moment," Chygrynsky said in comments published this week on Shakhtar's website.

"It may be that I won't have such an opportunity again in my career. On the other hand, if I prove to myself that I am worthy of such a proposal, I will raise the bar of my ability."

Billionaire owner Rinat Akhmetov has pumped cash into his club, home to several Brazilian players. Shakhtar's new stadium, which the club says is one the best in Europe and cost up to $400 million, opens next month.