---
title: "Option with South Korea was real: Shakhtar academy graduate talks about possible foreign transfers"
description: "Midfielder Andriy Totovitsky spoke about failed transfers to La Liga, Ligue 1, and South Korea, as well as the reasons behind Shakhtar Donetsk blocking the moves."
date: 2026-09-29T15:52:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/shakhtar-graduate-totovitsky-on-potential-foreign-transfers
tags: [football, shakhtar, totovitsky, transfers, sport-rbc]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Option with South Korea was real: Shakhtar academy graduate talks about possible foreign transfers

![Midfielder Andriy Totovitsky on the pitch](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/29/vospitannik-shahtera-totovickiy-rasskazal-o-vozmozhnyh-transferah/vospitannik-shahtera-totovickiy-rasskazal-o-vozmozhnyh-transferah-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Andriy Totovitsky could have transferred to La Liga, Ligue 1, and South Korea
- Shakhtar Donetsk blocked the transfer to the Asian club due to low compensation
- His spell in Belgium was complicated by a sports regime violation and disciplinary suspension

Midfielder Andriy Totovitsky shared his memories of the most vivid and unusual options for continuing his professional career that were never realized due to various circumstances.  Over years of performing at the highest level, the midfielder attracted the attention of scouts from various corners of the football world, including representatives of top European championships and exotic leagues.

### Unrealized moves to Europe and Asia

As the footballer stated in an exclusive interview with Sport RBC.UA, he received the largest number of concrete offers during his bright stint with Zorya Luhansk, as well as during his legionnaire career stage in Belgium. Among potential continuation options were clubs from Spanish La Liga and French Ligue 1. However, the most unexpected and exotic proposal was interest from an ambitious club in the South Korean championship.

### Shakhtar's financial stance and Belgian troubles

According to Totovitsky, he genuinely considered moving to the Asian championship, but the transfer fell through due to the position of Donetsk's Shakhtar. The management of the Ukrainian club decided not to release the player, considering the compensation offered by the Korean side insufficiently high.  Evaluating his career period in Belgium, the midfielder compared it to cryptocurrency market volatility, where surges were rapidly replaced by drops due to disciplinary lapses.

### Controversial data

While official sports reports and interviews with the player himself focus on failed transfers due to the Donetsk club's stance and sports regime violations in Belgium, third-party football experts express differing opinions regarding the real reasons for the midfielder's decline in playing practice. Some analysts believe that frequent muscle injuries and high competition in the attack line played a decisive role, whereas club sources insisted exclusively on disciplinary factors and management's unsatisfied financial appetite during transfer negotiations with foreign buyers.

### Career results and prospects

Despite the fact that many ambitious transfers fell through, Andriy Totovitsky left a noticeable mark on Ukrainian football by playing for leading Premier League clubs. The details of behind-the-scenes negotiations voiced by the footballer shed light on the complex mechanics of the transfer market, where players' fates often depend on strict business decisions of club management and unexpected life circumstances.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Был вариант с Южной Кореей: воспитанник "Шахтера" рассказал о возможных трансферах за границу](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/buv-variant-pivdennoyu-koreeyu-vihovanets-1790685550.html) - Основной источник интервью с Андреем Тотовицким о несостоявшихся трансферах.
- [Завершение карьеры, "Шахтер" и предложения из Европы: интервью Андрея Тотовицкого](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/zavershennya-kar-eri-shahtar-i-propozitsiyi-1790681391.html) - Основной источник интервью с Андреем Тотовицким о несостоявшихся трансферах.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What foreign options did Andriy Totovitsky have?
**A:** The player was targeted by clubs from Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, and a strong team from the South Korean championship.

### Q: Why did the transfer to South Korea fall through?
**A:** Shakhtar Donetsk refused to release the player, considering the proposed compensation amount insufficiently high.