Darijo Srna appeared destined to be on his way to Barcelona during the winter transfer window, but he has hinted on social media that he may be about to snub the Catalan giants.
Barca are in the market for full-back reinforcements as question marks hang over Aleix Vidal’s long-term future at Camp Nou.
He too is expected to be on the move in the near future, having struggled to make an impact in Catalunya.
A defensive Henrik Larsson: Srna can galvanise Barca
Possible replacements have been identified by the reigning La Liga champions, with Luis Enrique looking to bring in experienced cover.
Srna certainly fits the bill, with the 34-year-old a veteran performer with 134 international caps for Croatia to his name.
He could, however, be about to force Barca to look elsewhere, with a man who has spent the last 13 years on the books at Shakhtar Donetsk posting on Instagram: “Follow your heart. Shakhtar forever.”
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After a great half season its time for a family holiday #shakhtarforever #folowyourheart После супер половины сезона пришло время для семейного отдыха #слушатьсердце #сшахтеромнавсегда
A photo posted by darijosrna (@darijosrna) on Dec 16, 2016 at 12:55am PST
Srna has made over 500 appearances for Shakhtar, having first linked up with the Ukrainian outfit in 2003.
He is a stalwart of eight league title wins and a UEFA Cup success, but Shakhtar are aware of Barca’s interest and acknowledge that they could not stand in his way if he decides to move on.
Head coach Paulo Fonseca told Mundo Deportivo: "I know of the interest. It is not for me to make this decision.
"We know the importance of Srna on our team and we also know of his importance to the club.
"[Srna] has spent many years with us. I sincerely hope he doesn't go."
> ..... - Goal