“CSKA refused to sell a football player”
The beginning of August could give Russian football fans at least one loud shuttle. About a week ago it became known that CSKA striker and RPL top scorer of the last season Fedor Chalov is interested in Crystal Palace. The Premier League club was allegedly ready to pay € 15 million for the football player.
And on the eve there was information that the team from London increased its offer to € 25 million. However, the army team refused to sell the striker, as stated by his agent Christian Emile.
“Fedor is one of the most striking football players in Europe, and the increased interest in him is completely justified. Especially from the side of one Premier League club, which made a significant offer, but CSKA refused to sell the player. The position of the army is completely understandable - they have serious goals, and Fedor is the most important player for the team. We will follow the development of events and are confident that in any case Fedor has a great future, ”the agent quotes the Championship.
Thus, Chalov remained in CSKA, who did not want to let him go even for a substantial amount. On the one hand, the army team can be understood, on the other, for the second year in a row they could sell a young Russian football player to Europe for a lot of money. In the summer of 2018, Alexander Golovin left for Monaco immediately after the World Cup for € 30 million. This summer, Chalov was ready to follow his path, but this did not happen.
Sad examples of Dzagoev and Carvalho
It is difficult to say how much the incident will affect Fedor’s future career. Perhaps this will only benefit him, and in a year or two he, having gained strength and gained experience, will move to a European club of an even higher level for a lot of money.
However, negative examples from the history of CSKA are also recalled. So, after the European Championship 2012, Alan Dzagoev turned out to be close to leaving for a strong European team. The midfielder was then only 22, and he was considered the most talented player in Russia. At the European Championships in Ukraine and Poland, Alan did everything to ensure that the national team made it to the playoffs - scored three goals and became one of the tournament’s top scorers.
And already in late August, Dzagoev could go to Tottenham Hotspur. It was reported that the London club was ready to give more than € 30 million for the Russians. Alan was considered as a replacement for Luca Modric, who transferred to Real Madrid.
As a result, the hero of Euro 2012 did not leave Russia. A little later, he began to pursue injuries that broke his career as one of the country's most talented football players in recent years. At the moment, he is recovering from another serious damage - a rupture of the cruciate ligaments. Dreams of Europe are far behind.
A few years earlier, Daniel Carvalho found himself in a similar situation. The Brazilian spent two fantastic seasons in 2005-2006. The apotheosis of his appearances for the army team was three assists in the UEFA Cup final and the goal of “Liverpool” in the match for the European Super Cup.
At the same time, Carvalho was interested in a number of strong European clubs, but the army team did not rush to sell the player, waiting for a better offer. The moment for the sale of the midfielder was missed, and he choked up, began to gain excess weight and, in the end, lost interest in football. The former Carvalho fans no longer saw.
Why you should not be afraid to leave
However, many fans believe that it’s too early for Chalov to go to Europe, and it would be much better for him to spend a couple more years in Russia. However, for some reason young football players from other countries are not afraid to leave for strong European championships at a young age. Clubmate Chalova Nikola Vlašić went to Everton at age 19. Other young army legionaries also came to Russia, barely taking their first steps in adult football, and this only benefited them.
In England, Chalov would have the opportunity to progress and grow alongside strong masters. At the age of 21, he would be able to absorb new knowledge and develop rapidly as a football player. At this age, learning everything new is much easier than later.
Yes, of course, Fedor would have had a hard time, and the first season would probably have gone into his adaptation, but over time he would have probably settled in a new place and started to benefit the team. And Chalov himself never hid the fact that he wanted to leave for Europe.
And the example of the same Golovin is indicative. He moved to Monaco at age 22, and nothing bad happened. Yes, last season, both the team and the player turned out to be difficult, but now we can say that Alexander’s adaptation in the new place is completed and in the future he will be able to show his best football.
“To be honest, a year is enough for any person. Even to me. A Russian in Europe needs less time to get comfortable, ”Golovin himself recently admitted.
Sobolev and Shomurodov as a replacement for Chalov
Probably one of the reasons CSKA refused to sell Chalov to Crystal Palace was the lack of other attackers on the team. The traumatic Abel Hernandez terminated the contract with the club, and Timur Zhamaletdinov extended the lease agreement with Lech for another season. There are no other young forwards who are already ready to play at the base of CSKA.
Thus, after selling Chalov, Viktor Goncharenko risked being left without any attackers. But the army team could close the “hole” in the budget due to non-participation in the Champions League and actually recapture the money spent on Vlašić.
Moreover, in the RPL, CSKA could completely replace its best scorer on a budget. As soon as it became known that Chalov could go to Crystal Palace, several names of attackers who allegedly became interested in the army club appeared in the media.
Among them, Alexander Sobolev, currently the leader in the RPL scorers race with four goals. Moreover, according to media reports, compensation for a textured forward amounts to only € 2 million. On the other hand, Sobolev is an attacker of a completely different type than Chalov, and the team’s game would have to be rebuilt for him.
A much more suitable option is Eldor Shomurodov from Rostov, who scored three goals in the first four rounds of the RPL. The Uzbek is also young, powerful and fast, while being able to coolly recoup with partners.
Information also appeared about the army's interest in Nikolai Komlichenko and Luke Djordjevic. But the first option does not look very plausible, considering again that the pupil of Krasnodar is completely different from Chalov in the manner of the game. Moreover, Lokomotiv has shown interest in Nikolai. But Djordjevic would have suited the army team much more. Another question is whether the “Zenith” of the Montenegrin would have been released into the camp of a direct competitor.