Donetsk "Shakhtar" has officially announced a club change for one of its foreign players: 25-year-old Georgian defender Giorgi Gocholeyshvili will continue his career in Spain. According to Sport RBC.UA, citing the official website of the Donetsk club, the footballer will join "Cadiz," which is currently competing in the second tier of the Spanish championship — La Liga 2. Thus, the Georgian player, who joined the "miners" in January 2023, will go on loan again, but this time to an Andalusian club where a Ukrainian forward already plays.
Deal Details: Loan and Buy-Option
The agreement between the parties has been formalized as a loan deal lasting until the end of the 2026/27 season. A key element of the contract is the buy option: "Cadiz" receives the right to unilaterally purchase the 25-year-old defender on a permanent basis. For the Donetsk club, this is a standard scheme for parting with players who are not part of the main squad plans for the current period but retain market value and can be sold in the future for a fixed sum.
Path at "Shakhtar" and Loans in Denmark and Germany
During his time in the "Shakhtar" system, Gocholeyshvili played 40 matches for the Donetsk club, scoring one goal and providing three assists. However, for the last two seasons, the defender has effectively not played for the main team: first, he was loaned to Danish "Copenhagen," and in the previous campaign, he defended the colors of German "Hamburg." Neither of the previous loan clubs exercised the option to fully buy the Georgian's contract, which led to his new move to Spain.
New Address: "Cadiz" and the Ukrainian Trace in La Liga 2
"Cadiz" continues to fight to maintain its place in the second division: last season the Andalusians finished 18th in La Liga 2, staying above the relegation zone by just three points. For Gocholeyshvili, this transfer means not only a change of league but also meeting a fellow player from the Ukrainian football space — 25-year-old forward Vladyslav Kopotun has been playing for "Cadiz" since early July. Thus, the Georgian defender and the Ukrainian striker will be on the same team for the entire season.
Ukrainian Opponents in Spain
In the new season, Gocholeyshvili may also regularly cross paths with other Ukrainian footballers playing in Spanish championships. In particular, among the potential opponents of the Georgian defender are representatives of "Girona": Vladyslav Vanat, Viktor Tsygankov, Vladyslav Kravets, and Oleksandr Pishchur. This makes the Spanish campaign for the "Shakhtar" foreigner a truly busy Ukrainian track, where matches involving compatriots will become a separate storyline for fans.
Context of "Shakhtar's" Transfer Campaign
Gocholeyshvili's loan fits into the overall transfer policy of the Donetsk club, which is simultaneously strengthening its squad with new players. Recently, the "miners" signed a 19-year-old Brazilian arriving from the Saudi Arabian championship, confirming the club's course on combining rejuvenation and squad rotation. For Gocholeyshvili himself, the move to "Cadiz" becomes another attempt to establish himself in Europe at a higher level and, possibly, in the future — return to "Shakhtar" already as a bought player or on new terms.
