Ukraine national team midfielder Oleksii Hutsulyak has ended a long period of uncertainty and decided on his career continuation. The 28-year-old winger, who had been a free agent since the summer, has agreed on personal contract terms with Shymkent-based Ordabasy, the reigning champion of Kazakhstan. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA with reference to the AmanVIBE publication. The parties have settled all details of the agreement, after which the Ukrainian will become the champion's first winter reinforcement.
Free Reinforcement for the Champion
For Ordabasy, the transfer is a profitable acquisition: the player moves to the new club for free, as he left Zhytomyr-based Polissya as a free agent upon the conclusion of last season. Thus, the Kazakh team gets an experienced winger without paying a transfer fee, which allows them to strengthen the squad ahead of new challenges at the domestic and international levels.
The Path to the New Club
For a long time after leaving Polissya, Hutsulyak maintained his fitness independently, training in Poland while his representatives searched for career continuation options. According to sources, well-known European clubs claimed the player, and an offer was also received from Al Wahda of the UAE. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian decided to continue his career in Kazakhstan, where his compatriot Yuriy Vakulko already plays.
Statistics and Role in the National Team
In the 2025/26 season, Hutsulyak played 31 matches for Polissya in all tournaments, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists. At the international level, he established himself as a key forward: in 2025, he became the top scorer of the Ukraine national team, netting five goals in nine matches. These figures made him one of the most sought-after Ukrainian wingers on the transfer market.
Chance in the Champions League
Ordabasy has just won the Kazakhstan championship title and secured a berth in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. For Hutsulyak, this opens up the opportunity to take the field in Europe's most prestigious club tournament already in the summer qualifiers. For the 28-year-old player who experienced a long pause as a free agent, such a chance becomes an important career step and confirmation of his competitiveness at a high level.
