Club
Pitch Update
10th February 2026
Dundee United are delighted to announce the signing of Yevhenii Kucherenko from Ukrainian Premier League outfit LNZ Cherkasy on a permanent transfer.
Subject to visa approval and international clearance, the goalkeeper joins the Terrors on an initial two-year deal, with a club-held option of an additional 12 months.
Aged just 17, Kucherenko left his hometown of Kyiv to join the youth ranks of 15-time Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. He featured in the 2017/18 UEFA Youth League, aiding his side’s efforts to defeat Manchester City, Napoli and Feyenoord.
Upon the expiry of his deal, the towering shot-stopper enjoyed a brief stint on the Iberian peninsula with UD Leiria, where he made his senior debut in the Taca de Portugal, then teamed up with up-and-coming FC Kolos Kovalivka on his return to Ukraine.
During Kucherenko’s first six months back on home soil, Kovalivka completed their fairytale journey from amateur football to the top-flight by emerging victorious in the promotion play-off final.
A temporary spell in the second tier afforded our new number one his first taste of regular action, as he kept five clean sheets in 14 matches across the second half of the 2021/22 term whilst plying his trade with Podillya Khmelnytskyi.
Kucherenko’s development continued with another successful loan the following season, this time venturing north to FC Aksu in Kazakhstan. He made 16 appearances as his temporary employers achieving the highest finish in their history.
In the summer of 2023, the budding shot-stopper was installed as first choice at Dila Gori - based in Georgia. He played every single league minute of the campaign, racking up ten shutouts and booking a Europa Conference League place in the process.
Back in Ukraine, Kucherenko caught the eye of newly-promoted LNZ Cherkasy, who moved swiftly to secure his services ahead of 2024/25. The Kyiv-born custodian topped the UPL save charts when compared with peers aged 25 and under, after making a colossal 95 stops throughout the year.
'He Commands His Area Decisively'
“We’re excited to welcome a goalkeeper of Yevhenii’s quality to Tannadice - he commands his area decisively, possesses strong technical fundamentals and displays unwavering composure under pressure”, said United Manager, Jim Goodwin, after unveiling his new recruit.
He continued: “In addition to his strong performances between the sticks, we have been equally impressed by his character and attitude. Yevhenii has succeeded in testing himself across numerous different European leagues despite his youth, underlining his desire to develop as both a player and a person.
“We believe he’ll provide immediate depth and quality to our goalkeeping unit, while also representing a long-term asset for the club.”
