Former Atalanta Ukraine international midfielder Viktor Kovalenko returns to Empoli on a free transfer..

Empoli announced on its official website on Tuesday that former Atalanta Ukraine international midfielder Viktor Kovalenko has returned to the club as a free agent.

According to Empoli's official statement, Kovalenko has signed on a short-term six-month contract with the club which will only run until the end of this season.

With this transfer, it also means that Kovalenko will return to the Stadio Carlo Castellani again after six months.

About Viktor Kovalenko

The 28-year-old Kovalenko was born on February 14, 1996 in Kherson, Ukraine. He is 1.82 meters tall and plays as a center midfielder.

Kovalenko joined the Shakhtar Donetsk youth academy at the age of 12 and completed his Shakhtar Donetsk first-team debut in February 2015.

During the six-and-a-half-year spell with Shakhtar, Kovalenko won the Ukrainian Premier League four times, the Ukrainian Cup four times and the Ukrainian Super Cup twice with the club.

In February 2021, Kovalenko joined Atalanta for €700,000.

In August of the same year, Kovalenko was loaned-out to Spezia for 2 years.

In August 2023, Kovalenko was loaned-out to Empoli.

During his loan spell at Empoli, Kovalenko played 17 times for the Serie A club in all competitions, scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist.