Moscow “Lokomotiv” is included in the transfer race, announced this summer by other Russian clubs. The team of Yuri Semin in the coming days may sign a contract with one of the most popular Russian players - striker Nikolai Komlichenko. According to the "Championship", an agreement with "Mlada Boleslav" about the transfer has already been reached.
Sources close to the club assure that by the end of this week the transaction will be formalized. But the chairman of the board of directors of vice-champions of Russia Anatoly Meshcheryakov advises not to rush things. “The desire to give out wishful thinking is understandable. While the requests of all parties are beyond reasonable limits, ”the Sport Express functionary quotes.
The Czech club declined to comment on the topic of negotiations, saying only that there was interest in the player from several European clubs, including Lokomotiv. Komlichenko himself is currently preparing with the team for the match of the qualifying round of the Europa League with Steaua.
Earlier, the interest of railroad workers in the 24-year-old striker reported Betting Insider. According to him, Komlichenko topped the list of transfer goals of Lokomotiv for the current season, ahead of Luka Dzhorzhevich from Zenit. The club also plans to rent a player from the club of the second Bundesliga, whose name remains unknown.
Over the past few months, Komlichenko has become one of the most coveted players with a Russian passport. He showed himself brightly last season as part of Mlada Boleslav. The pupil of “Krasnodar” became the top scorer of the Czech championship, scoring 29 goals in 40 matches. His club took only seventh place at the end of the season, but won the playoffs for reaching the Europa League, and it was Komlichenko who scored the decisive ball in the final game.
The striker’s progress is also evidenced by the fact that in May he was called up to the Russian national team for the matches of the Euro 2020 qualifying tournament. Stanislav Cherchesov never released him on the field either against San Marino or against Cyprus, but the status of one of the leading Russian attackers, the 24-year-old player thus earned. Komlichenko also added in his transfer value. If last June it was estimated at € 400 thousand, then over the year it went up almost nine times - up to € 3.5 million.
In the offseason, many foreign clubs showed interest in the player. Komlichenko was closest to moving to the Greek PAOK and the Belgian Gent, which failed to break into the European competition. However, the Russian still began the season in the Czech championship. He spent three matches, in one of which he scored a winning goal. At the same time, the attacker managed to help Mlade Boleslav pass the Kazakhstani Ordabasy in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, having chalked up a goal in each game.
Komlichenko admitted that he was ready to return to Russia after three years of performances in the Czech Republic and would consider proposals from RPL clubs on a par with European ones. At the same time, Krasnodar was excluded from the candidates for the attacker. The club owned the rights to its pupil until January of this year and allowed Mlade Boleslav to redeem his contract in full. Before the debut in the Champions League, southerners preferred to acquire foreign players.
Of the other Russian clubs that play in European competitions, a high-quality intensification of the attack was primarily required for Spartak and Lokomotiv. But the red-white ones went by replacing some legionnaires with others, especially since they had to start the European campaign as early as Krasnodar. Lokomotiv still has time for spot selection, as in the Champions League it starts immediately from the group stage.
That attack is now the main problem of the “Locomotive”, albeit not the most obvious. Although the team has Fedor Smolov, who recently scored his first goal in the match with Wings of the Soviets, there is no one to replace him. Jefferson Farfan is recovering from a knee injury, and is unknown. when he returns to duty. Also in the infirmary is Eder. Due to a fracture of the metacarpal bone and surgery, the Portuguese will not enter the field in the next three weeks.
To play in two tournaments in the fall, Lokomotiv needs one more forward, preferably with a Russian registration, so as not to have problems with the limit on legionnaires in the RPL and allow Smolov to easily leave for a replacement. It’s too late to look for someone in other Russian clubs when four rounds have already been played in the national championship.
For Komlichenko, switching to Lokomotiv is extremely beneficial. No matter how often he scored in the Czech championship, breaking into a stronger European club and the championship was not so simple. In order for the career to continue to develop, the attacker could only turn his eyes to Russia. The club, playing in the Champions League and eager to find another striker, should be a great option for him.
There is only one drawback in transferring Komlichenko to Lokomotiv. Even before leaving for the Czech Republic, he practically did not play in the Russian championship, usually being content with PFL matches as part of Krasnodar-2. He will have to get used to new conditions and higher speeds compared to the Czech championship. The quality of defenders in Russia is also noticeably higher, and some teams even preach defensive football. Komlichenko proved that he can progress, but he may also need time to adapt.