In Europe, the summer period of additional applications is approaching the end. Already on September 1, representatives of the five leading championships will lose the opportunity to strengthen their rosters, therefore they are actively working in the transfer market. As a result, two star footballers of the Russian Premier League teams are packing their bags at once. So, over the past few days, CSKA and Rostov have lost their leaders, and it is possible that Spartak will be next in line, risking being left without Alex Kral and Samuel Zhigot.
Undoubtedly, the most discussed transfer topic of the summer in Russia was the departure of Nikola Vlasic. After Euro 2020, the Croat frankly lost interest in playing for CSKA and showed with all his might that he intends to change his registration. However, this did not facilitate negotiations with the army team, who were desperately trying to get a means commensurate with his skill level for the midfielder. It was because of this that it was not possible to reach an agreement with Milan, which was not ready to carry out a full-fledged transfer of the player, but insisted on a lease with a buyout option.
And at the moment when Vlašić's transition to one of the top championships of the Old World seemed completely disrupted, West Ham appeared on the horizon. In the summer, the Hammers lost one of the leaders - Jesse Lingard returned to Manchester United after the end of the lease. And the head coach David Moyes decided that the Croat could be an excellent replacement for the Englishman, as a result of which the transfer was arranged in just a few days. According to various sources, CSKA received from € 24.5 million to € 30 million, some of which (from 15 to 25%) will go to the former midfielder's team, Everton, and another part to Hajduk, who raised him.
However, not only Vlašić will make the route from the RPL to the nuclear submarine.
So, two days earlier, midfielder Matthias Normann went to Foggy Albion.
Unlike the army club, Rostov agreed to let the Norwegian go on lease with a buyout option.
According to RB Sport, Norwich will need to pay about € 17.5 million to arrange a full-fledged transfer.
It is worth recalling that rumors about Norman's possible departure from Rostov have been circulating throughout the year.
Moreover, it was reported about the interest in the player not only from the Russian "Spartak", CSKA and "Zenith", but also the English "Manchester United" and "Fulham".
But the matter never came to substantive negotiations.
Perhaps potential buyers were intimidated by the price tag of € 18 - 25 million.
It's hard to say what exactly made Rostov agree to part with the midfielder now. On the one hand, it fits perfectly into the club strategy aimed at the development and subsequent sale of players. From a financial point of view, Norman's deal would be a super successful deal for the team. Especially considering that he was acquired from Brighton for only € 1.7 million. On the other hand, Yuri Semin loses a key player during the season and does not have time to find a worthy replacement for him. Plus, the main amount for a possible transition will go to the treasury only in the summer of 2022.
CSKA is in a better position. Still, a full-fledged transfer of Vlašić implies immediate payment, if not all, then at least part of the compensation. Taking into account the fact that recently they prefer to break the total amount into separate tranches, it is possible that the transfer of funds for the purchase of a Croat will take several months or years. But whether this will help CSKA solve the problem in the middle line is a big question.
Undoubtedly, the departure of Vlašić and Normann will entail huge problems for CSKA and Rostov, respectively. And it is difficult to say which of them will be hit harder by the absence of leaders. On the one hand, the Croat was not only the designer of the attacks of the red and blue, but also the top scorer and assistant. Last season, he chalked up 18 points (12 goals and 6 assists) and surpassed Fedor Chalov (7 + 5) with a margin. The Norwegian also determined the team's play in the center of the field and was excellent in defensive actions. As confirmation - the third place in the team in the number of passes (46.5), tackles (1.7), interceptions (1.5) and blocked shots (0.5), as well as the second in the number of successful dribbles (1.1) in average per match.
By and large, such losses could cost both clubs the struggle for high places in the current championship. This season CSKA looks rather unconvincing and “leaves” largely due to the standards, after which three out of eight goals were scored. As for creating chances from the game, there are serious problems here. In terms of expected goals (xG), the army team is only 11th in the RPL (6.28), behind Ufa, Krylyam Sovetov, Akhmat and Khimki. Yes, they can boast that they are bypassing Lokomotiv in this indicator (5.83), but the railroad workers have been demonstrating incredible implementation for the second season. The Reds and Blues also score more than they should, but not that much.
Do not forget that even the unmotivated Vlašić managed to organize 0.78 xG (the second result in the team), and over the past two seasons he has regularly scored more than expected. Horvath distinguished himself more often than he should have, based on statistics, thanks to which he brought CSKA the most important points. In his absence, it is difficult to expect the same from any of the current members of the composition. Is that from Chidera Ejuke, who has settled in a new place, who has already managed to be noted with two accurate strikes.
For “Rostov” the absence of Norman will also turn into difficulties. But in general, Semin's wards may seem more ready for the loss of the Norwegian. If only for the reason that half of the last season of the RPL the team had already done without him. Matthias missed 11 meetings due to injury, one - due to busting yellow cards, twice did not get into the application, and one more time remained on the bench. And in his absence, the yellow-blues scored even more points than with him (22 versus 21). In addition, his frequent absences helped Danil Glebov to open up.
Yes, while the Russian can hardly be called a full-fledged replacement for the Norwegian. If in defensive actions he is not much inferior, then in the advancement of the ball, passes and the ability to deliver a long-range strike it looks worse. Nevertheless, Glebov is three years younger than Norman and will certainly progress. And additional game practice will only help him with this.
Thus, although the losses of Vlašić and Normann affect the overall level of both their former clubs and the entire league, they also open up certain opportunities for other players. In this regard, their departures carry not only negativity. This especially applies to the situation with the Croat. If Matthias wanted to go for a promotion, then in every possible way he hid it from the public and continued to work at the maximum. Nikola, on the other hand, looked extremely demotivated and apathetic on the field - in such an emotional state, even great professionals can hardly be useful. Therefore, parting was the only right decision.
The only negative factor for both clubs is the fact that both transitions were issued "on the flag". Yes, in Russia the transfer window is open until September 7, therefore, there is still time to strengthen the squad. However, finding a worthy replacement for such high-profile footballers in just a week is an extremely difficult task if the acquisition negotiations were not conducted in parallel. Especially taking into account the fact that by this time the period of additional applications in the top leagues will have ended, and not everyone will be ready to let go of any of the performers they have.
As for the prestige of the league itself, the situation is twofold. On the one hand, RPL lost two top players, who largely determined the performance of their teams. Undoubtedly, this cannot positively affect both the prospects of CSKA and Rostov, and the competition within the championship. In its current form, it will be extremely difficult for both of them to fight for getting into the European competition zone, while the latter may face a tense struggle for survival. Together with Norman, the Rostovites won only one victory in six rounds and are on the 14th line. And it's not a fact that it won't get worse without him.
On the other hand, the successful performance of Vlašić and Normann in the English Premier League can have a positive effect on the RPL's image. Now many European clubs are reluctant to look towards Russia, as they are not sure of its ability to raise top-caliber football players. In recent years, several representatives of the national championship have tried their strength in the strongest championships of the Old World, but few have managed to prove themselves from the best side. These include the Uzbek striker Eldor Shomurodov, who in just a year went to the promotion from Genoa to Roma, Alexander Golovin, who successfully plays at Monaco, and Leandro Paredes. At the same time, in the context of the Argentinean, it is necessary to make a reservation. Nevertheless, at the time of joining Zenit, he was already a fairly well-known player and defended the colors of the team from the Eternal City.
At the same time, there were enough failed deals. You can recall the unsuccessful transition of Moritz Bauer to Stoke City, Quincy Promes to Sevilla or Ahmed Musa to Leicester. Moreover, the last two were among the stars of the Russian championship, but could not prove themselves either in La Liga or in the Premier League. These include Fedor Smolov's lease to Celta and Alexei Miranchuk's transfer to Atalanta. So far, the Russian has not been able to win the competition for a place at the heart of the Bergamasks and may soon leave the club.