Srna names Modrić and Çalhanoğlu as Shakhtar transfer wishes

Darijo Srna says he would like Luka Modrić or Hakan Çalhanoğlu at Shakhtar Donetsk, as the club’s sporting director prepares his young side for a Champions League meeting with Inter at San Siro. His wish puts an unusual focus on two established midfielders ahead of a match in which Srna says Inter are favourites.

Shakhtar have opened their European campaign with a draw against PSV and a win over AEK. Srna set the club’s target at a finish among the Champions League’s top 24 teams, which he called a dream and a major success for the squad. He said Shakhtar want to compete and play their own football rather than sit back against Inter.

The task is a steep one, in Srna’s assessment. He described Inter as an experienced side and “one of the best teams in Italy”, and said the home team did not deserve to have zero points after its first two European matches. Srna credited Inter coach Cristian Chivu with good work at Parma and Inter, and praised assistant Aleksandar Kolarov’s experience at major clubs.

Inter’s domestic position adds context: they lead Serie A with 19 points from seven games. Çalhanoğlu has made one league appearance this season and scored once. Inter’s next Serie A match is at home to Fiorentina on Sunday, 25 October.

Srna’s confidence in Shakhtar’s approach is tied to the club’s wider strategy. He said hiring young, ambitious coaches is part of the plan and described Arda Turan as a natural fit. Turan, Srna noted, won the league with Shakhtar in his first season and took the team to the Conference League semi-finals. Srna also called the current squad one of the youngest in the Champions League.

That youth is developing against a backdrop that still shapes the club’s daily life. Srna said Shakhtar lost Donbas Arena, its home city and training centre in 2014, and thanked Italy for its support of Ukraine. The club remains displaced from Donetsk and, he said, is proud to represent Ukrainian football in Europe.

The top-24 goal gives Shakhtar a clear measure for its European campaign. Against Inter, Srna wants his young team to test itself on the pitch while respecting the quality of the opponent.