Konoplyanka blasts Premier League style

Sevilla and Ukraine winger Yevhen Konoplyanka says he would have moved to the Premier League if he “didn’t know how to control a ball”.

Konoplyanka was linked with a move to Liverpool and Tottenham regularly over the last two seasons, while Stoke came close to signing him on a free transfer from Ukrainian side Dnipro in the summer.

The 25-year-old winger eventually opted to join Sevilla after rejecting advances from both Stoke and Atletico Madrid, and has now criticised the style of play in the Premier League after experiencing La Liga.

“If I was two-and-a-half metres tall and didn’t know how to control a ball then I may have gone to England, but here [in Spain], the football’s more technical. It’s the best,” he said.

“I don’t regret coming to Spain. I didn’t receive many offers. Some came from the Premier League and Sevilla and Atletico from Spain, but I kept thinking that Sevilla were right for me.

“I was very anxious when making my choice, to the point that I got nervous and lost three kilos beforehand. I loved Sevilla’s insistence on signing me, so I think I made the right decision.”