Attacking transfer: why Zenit should not worry if Dziuba and Azmuna leave

Interest in Azmun in Italy and Spain and advice for Tottenham Hotspur

The names of Artyom Dziuba and Serdar Azmun have recently often flickered in sports news. Foreign media send forwards to one or the other leading European championship, forcing Zenit fans to worry about the future of the club.

Last week, several sources immediately reported that the Spanish are seriously interested in the Spanish “Atletico” and “Seville”, as well as the English “Leicester City” and “West Ham United”. According to the publication of Football Italia, citing Corriere del Mezzogiorno, the cost of the levy for the forward can be about € 25 million in case the parties are able to agree.

However, Napoli is still considered the favorite in the fight for the striker. On Sunday, La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Nicolo Skira said the club was ready to pay € 30-35 million for Azmuna and offer the Iranian a five-year contract. In the person of Serdar, the Neapolitans see a replacement for Arkadiusz Milik. 

#Napoli want to sign Sardar #Azmoun to replace Arek #Milik. Talks ongoing with his agent (Fali Ramadani) to find an agreement. For the iranian player are ready 5-years contract. #Zenit to sell him ask € 30-35M at least. #transfers

Meanwhile, the British portal HITC advised Tottenham to take a closer look at Dziuba. The publication noted that a powerful overall forward will be an excellent reinforcement for the team of Jose Mourinho.

“With a height of 196 cm, he can both throw off balls for partners and be different himself. This season, the captain of the Russian national team scored 15 goals for Zenit and gave 12 assists in all tournaments ... Considering what is happening in the world, football clubs will face financial difficulties, and Tottenham is no exception. Signing such an experienced free agent will be a very smart move, and the fact that he is able to easily join the Mourinho system is a huge bonus. If you manage to save Kane and get a competent follower like Dziuba for him, Tottenham will tidy up the attack line, ”the material says.

True, Roman Dubov, director of development of the London club, assessed the Russians’s chances to move to Tottenham as low, although he emphasized that more football players from Eastern Europe would appear in European top clubs due to the crisis.

“So far, Harry Kane has not left us, the question with his future has not been defined, there is no concrete proposal at the moment, we can’t talk about its potential replacement. To be honest, Dziuba has many scouts on a pencil, but I think we won’t see Artyom in Tottenham, ”Dubov quotes Match TV.

Earlier in Italy it was reported that the contract Dzube ready to offer fighting for the championship in Serie A Lazio. And you don’t have to pay for Artyom, because in June he ends an agreement with Zenit. The blue-white-blue leadership assures that the forward will remain in St. Petersburg, but there is no official information on the extension of cooperation.

Dziuba's European Dream

On the one hand, the loss of both strikers could be a huge problem for Zenit. On the other hand, it will happen at the most convenient moment for rebuilding the team. In summer, the contract with the club expires not only from Dziuba, but also from five more Russians - Daler Kuzyaev, Oleg Shatov, Igor Smolnikov, Mikhail Kerzhakov and Yuri Zhirkov, as well as with Serb Branislav Ivanovich. There is no news of renewal of agreements with them either. This means that the composition of Petersburgers will most likely undergo serious changes, at least its Russian backbone.

At the moment, it seems that the club is obliged to preserve Dziubu, because the whole game of Petersburgers in attack is built around it. The last two seasons, Sergei Semak's team ahead has been betting mainly on casts in the direction of the high striker. With the advent of Azmoon, the leader of the Russian national team has a high-class partner who perfectly complements him on the edge, while the captain of the Russian national team can focus on the game. The attacking mechanism of blue-white-blue has earned its full power.

However, Artyom can hardly be called a forward attacker, since in August he will be 32 years old. Meanwhile, the striker did not hide his desire to leave for Europe and in 2019 even signed an agreement with the famous agent Georges Mendes to help him find a team in the Old World. 

“I have another year of the contract, and here a lot depends on the leadership of Zenit. If they want to save me, it would be right for me to at least make an offer, I don’t want to sit and think whether we will extend or not. I hope that specifics with Europe appear - I rely only on England, ”Sport Express quoted Dzyuba as saying. 

The forward gave this interview at the end of May last year, and in February 2020, Dziuba admitted that he was interested in Tottenham in the winter. 

“They contacted me at the New Year holidays - from Jose Mourinho, as I understand it. But Zenit said no. I had a conversation with Alexei Miller. I heard his words. I respect him very much ... If Tottenham really wanted me very much, they would be more persistent. There was interest, it’s true, ”Dziuba said in the program“ Football of Russia ”on the channel“ Russia 24 ”.

Now Artyom has the opportunity to try himself in Europe, and for the sake of a dream, he could very well go for a lower salary and refuse a new agreement with Zenit. 

Chance for a profitable transfer

As for Azmuna, according to various information, Petersburgers can get € 25-35 million for it. Given that in February 2019 the club acquired an Iranian for € 12 million (according to Transfermarkt), after only a year and a half, Petersburgers can make good money on its sale. 

This will fit into the strategy of current champions in recent years. Zenit not only makes costly transfers, but also sells the leading legionnaires favorably. The Hulk went to Shanghai SIPG for € 55.6 million, Leandro Paredes to PSG for € 40 million, Esekiel Garay to Valencia for € 24 million, Axel Witsel to Tianjin Quanjian for € 20 million. 

Zenit easily leaves tens of millions of euros in the transfer market, but the club eventually recaptures most of the costs. And in recent years, Petersburgers are forced to strictly adhere to the rules of financial fair play. So, the purchase of Malcom for € 40 million became possible only after the sale of Paredes for the same amount. 

In this sense, Azmuna’s transfer will become quite logical and correct for Zenit, although it will create a temporary headache for Sergei Semak. 

Ambitious Kokorin and young Chalov

However, with the replacement of Dziuba and Azmun, Zenit should have no problems, because the blue-white-blue can afford to lure the striker of almost any Russian club, especially in times of crisis.

Unlike other domestic teams, the current champions of Russia are unlikely to have serious financial problems, which means that blue-white-blue will still offer players the best conditions in the RPL. There are no problems with the sports component - Zenit regularly wins trophies and plays in the Champions League. 

Speaking of personalities, Dziubu could well be replaced by the same textured and powerful Alexander Sobolev, who scored ten goals in the RPL this season. In the tournament scorers of the tournament, he lags behind the captain of the national team by only three accurate hits. True, in winter, the 23-year-old striker moved to Spartak, but only on loan, and therefore in the summer, nothing prevents Zenit from acquiring a football player from the Wings of the Soviets fighting for survival. Even if red and white enter the fight for him, the current champions are quite capable of breaking the offer of a direct competitor. 

And the place of Azmun is quite capable of taking Fedor Smolov. The twice-top RPL scorer intends to pursue a career in Europe, but leaving Spain may prevent him from doing so. In this case, the forward will be open to offers, the more Zenit was already interested in him. 

We must not forget about Alexander Kokorin. In winter, he went on loan to Sochi, and in June his current contract with Zenit will end. But it is possible that, looking at the game of a football player who has served a prison term, the club decides to keep it and will propose a new agreement. 

Moreover, Kokorin, after the forced departure from Zenit, proved to be the best. He did not give up, but began to work and immediately became one of the leaders of Sochi. Alexander’s three goals in four matches helped his new team win three victories in a row and leave the relegation zone. Returning to St. Petersburg, the forward, for sure, will be full of desire to prove that he was in vain sent for rent.

Do not discount the best RPL scorer of the last season Fedor Chalov. He, like Smolov, is determined to leave for Europe, but an unsuccessful game after a failed transfer to Crystal Palace will reduce his interest in leading championships.

“Zenith” is able to give the young army man not only a higher salary than in CSKA, but also stability. In St. Petersburg, Chalov will have the opportunity to play with high-class experienced partners, while in Moscow he is forced to fight for a place in the sun in a young team that alternates victories with defeats.

In turn, the Brazilian Ari can approach Zenith for two reasons - the attacker not only has a Russian passport, but will also become an unlimited free agent in the summer. Yes, in December he will be 35 years old, but in the era of the limit on legionnaires and cost savings, a player of this level will not be superfluous.