THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — Andriy Shevchenko’s unsuccessful three-year spell with Chelsea is almost over after coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Friday that the striker will leave before English soccer’s transfer window closes next week.
The former European player of the year failed to make an impact in the Premier League despite costing a club-record 30 million pounds (C$52.9 million) when he joined from AC Milan. He has been linked with a return to Dynamo Kiev, where he started his career.
The 32-year-old Shevchenko spent last season on loan at Milan under Ancelotti and is set to leave London again before the transfer window closes at 5 p.m. local time Tuesday.
Ancelotti said the Ukraine international was unhappy at not playing regularly, with successive Chelsea managers favouring Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou for the striking roles.
"Shevchenko will decide to return to go to play in another team," Ancelotti said. "I spoke with Shevchenko and he would like to play with continuity.
"Here for me it is difficult to give him this possibility to play a lot of matches and I think he will take the right decision for him. He will take his decision, it is not our problem, and he will choose the team that is right for him."
Chelsea had won the Premier League title for two straight years when it signed Shevchenko in the hope of bolstering its team and competing for the Champions League.
But Shevchenko scored just four goals in 30 Premier League games as Manchester United regained the title in 2007 and Chelsea lost to Liverpool in the Champions League semifinals.
After scoring only five Premier League goals in 2007-08, he went on loan to Milan. He missed Chelsea’s FA Cup final win last season, and he has never won a trophy of any sort with the club.
But Shevchenko is still fourth in the all-time Champions League scoring list despite not playing in the tournament last season and managing just one goal for Chelsea the year before.