Tottenham and Arsenal in battle for Douglas Costa? Brazil forward opens up Shakhtar Donetsk exit possibility

Premier League duo will be among a host of interested sides

Douglas Costa (GETTY IMAGES)

Tottenham and Arsenal are reportedly showing interest in Douglas Costa after the Shakhtar Donetsk forward opened up the possibility of an exit from his current club amid the political unrest in Ukraine.

The Brazilian is among six South American players who refused to travel with the rest of the team to Ukraine for Tuesday's first match of the season.

The players "all run a deadly risk if we are in the region," Costa said on his Instagram page.

Explaining his decision, the 23-year-old appeared to indicate that he was not seeking a permanent exit from the club.

"I like the club, the people, the city, but I'm afraid," he said in comments posted alongside a picture of the Shakhtar badge. "We want to stay at the club, but we must have risk-free working conditions."

With no clear end in sight for the conflict in Ukraine, even more so following the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 crash, the prospect of a loan move has been raised.

Tottenham and Arsenal are thought to be among those who would be willing to provide a way out for Costa. Roma and AC Milan are also reportedly interest in the prospect of bringing the 23-year-old in on loan.

Costa has been with Shakhtar since 2010, winning five straight Ukrainian titles and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals in 2010/11. As such the club are not keen on seeing him leave the club, with owner Rinat Akhmetov stating: "There won't be a clearance sale."