In the absence of interest from the giants: why the possible transition of Agalarov to Akhmat is too risky

Why Agalarov's transfer is being discussed

The Ufa striker became the main discovery of the last Russian football championship.

In his debut full season at the highest level, Hamid Agalarov scored 19 goals and became the top scorer of the tournament.

And what is especially valuable is that he achieved this in far from the strongest championship team, and therefore, without top partners.

More often than others, the center forward was assisted by Vyacheslav Krotov, a football player who was valued by the authoritative portal Transfermarkt at € 500,000 and transferred to Pari NN as a free agent.

For comparison, Artyom Dzyuba scored the lion's share of his goals from the passes of ex-Barcelona midfielder Malcom, and Fedor Smolov - one of the strongest attacking midfielders in the camp of Rifat Zhemaletdinov.

And although Agalarov failed to save Ufa from relegation from the Russian Premier League (RPL), his personal achievements were appreciated.

Not only was he recognized as the best young player of the season, but he almost won the prize for the best football player of the championship.

Hamid received 68 votes and was only 18 behind Claudinho, who won.

In addition, he was included in the RPL symbolic team and the list of "33 best players" according to the RFU.

By and large, the departure of Agalarov from Ufa was considered decided during the championship.

The only question was who exactly would take the goalscorer and whether teams from abroad would show interest.

But, to the surprise of many, after the opening of the transfer window, there was no hype around his figure, and the country's top clubs did not line up.

As a result, the struggle for Hamid unfolded between several middle peasants, which looked rather strange.

Who fights for Agalarov

According to the media, there were five contenders for Agalarov, but Akhmat, Krasnodar and Sochi showed more substantive interest in him.

Rostov could also join the dispute for the striker, and Match TV reported on the player's offer from Pari NN.

However, in Nizhny Novgorod this information was denied.

According to CEO Ravil Izmailov, the reason was the high amount of the transfer.

Initially, it was also said that some European teams were ready to invite Hamid, but these rumors were not confirmed either.

And towards the end of June, it became known that Akhmat became the favorite in the fight for Agalarov.

As the "Championship" notes, the club has made progress in negotiations both with "Ufa" and with the player himself.

The fact of negotiations with Grozny residents was confirmed by the general director of the club Shamil Gazizov, and this already says a lot.

Usually functionaries prefer not to talk about this until the signing of the deal.

“Agalarov has several options for continuing his career.

"Akhmat"?

Rumors are unfounded.

This is one of the options,” Gazizov said.

Why Agalarov is not needed by the grandees

And although interest in the striker is relatively high, the almost complete absence of top clubs among the applicants is surprising.

These include only Krasnodar and, with a stretch, Sochi, but by this time they could well have abandoned their claims to Agalarov.

The first club waited for the return of John Cordoba and bought out the contracts of two Nigerian strikers from Plovdiv - Olakunle Olusegun and Jonathan Okoronkvo, and the second - strengthened by Vladislav Sarveli.

And it is not a fact that they will decide to invest in the purchase of Hamid and thereby oversaturate the attacking line.

But why aren't other Premier League leaders chasing after Hamid?

In most cases, everything is quite logical and is based both on the staffing of their squads and on the playing qualities of the athlete.

Back in the middle of the month, information appeared that Zenit did not intend to acquire Agalarov, since he did not fit the vision of Sergei Semak's game.

And this is quite understandable.

Even in the course of last season, the Petersburgers abandoned the penalty forward and began to rely on variability, interchangeability and constant changes in attacking positions.

Yes, and the presence of Ivan Sergeyev makes additional expenses unreasonable.

But what about the rest?

Dynamo and Spartak have an overabundance of performers of this role.

The white-and-blues have Fyodor Smolov, Konstantin Tyukavin and Vyacheslav Grulev at their disposal, the red-and-whites have Alexander Sobolev and Shamar Nikolsson.

And although it is still difficult to say what kind of laughter both teams will play with new mentors, the invitation of Agalarov is hardly a priority.

First of all, both need to strengthen the defensive line and the gaps in midfield that can be formed after the departure of some foreign players.

In turn, Lokomotiv also does not complain about the lack of attackers.

In winter, Wilson Isidore joined the squad, and Marco Racognac was acquired to replace Jan Kuchta, who had gone on loan.

Last season, the railroad basically acted according to the scheme with one clean forward and are unlikely to change it.

Therefore, only the lack of interest in CSKA raises questions.

Now Vladimir Fedotov has only Anton Zabolotny and Adolfo Gaich at his disposal (the future of Fyodor Chalov is in doubt), but he can hardly rely on them entirely.

The Russian missed a total of 57 days last season due to injuries and scored just six goals in all competitions, while the Argentine had an extremely unsuccessful loan spell at Huesca.

What are the pros and cons of moving to Akhmat

The main argument in favor of moving to Grozny is the abundance of playing practice.

In the attacking line, Agalarov will have almost no serious competitors, so his place at the base is almost guaranteed.

Only Mohammed Konate can compete with him for a position at the start, but choosing between them, Andrey Talalaev will certainly bet on the Russian.

He is not only two and a half years younger, but also realizes his moments better.

Excluding penalties, Hamid had 9.72 expected goals for the season and scored 13 goals.

While the Senegalese this ratio is negative (8.42 - 7).

Among other things, Agalarov will surely like the opportunity to play for Akhmat.

In terms of atmosphere, a native of Makhachkala will be extremely comfortable in Grozny and will not have to get used to life in a metropolis like Moscow or St. Petersburg.

In addition, there should be no problems with support from local fans.

However, there are downsides to this transfer.

And the main one is the lack of ambition in Akhmat.

Even though he has been playing in the country's top division for 14 seasons, he does not claim to be a medalist.

Basically, Grozny residents are in the second eight, and although they sensationally became fifth in 2017, they have not climbed so high again.

And given the transfer policy of the club, such tasks are not set for him.

And this is not what a promising striker who wants to progress needs.

In addition, Akhmat has never been famous for its ability to develop young players.

If we leave out the legionnaires, then only Daler Kuzyaev managed to raise and send for promotion.

At 21, the midfielder came from Neftekhimik for €300,000, and three and a half years later he went to Zenit for €4 million. Yes, there were still talented Russians in the team, who later reached a new level.

But the same Arsen Adamov seriously added it in the Urals, after which he was valued by the blue-white-blues at € 5 million, and Reziuan Mirzov - in Arsenal.

Successful exit transfers include the sale of Zaurbek Pliev and Vladimir Ilyin, but both came to the team in adulthood.

Who would need Agalarov

In fact, a transition to CSKA would be an almost ideal option.

If Chalov does not return, then the army team will be left with two overall, but unreliable and unstoppable attackers, with whom it will not be easy to achieve results.

In addition, the club has always been famous for its ability to develop young football players and traditionally solves more serious problems compared to Akhmat, and also does not experience financial problems.

Thus, Agalarov will be forced to work in stressful conditions, which may well contribute to his progress.

Moving to Samara or Rostov-on-Don would also be more curious.

Yes, both teams are not fighting for medals in the Russian championship, but they are famous for their work with young people.

In recent years, Wings of the Soviets have become a real source of talent and in this regard have managed to compete with Ufa.

And after the departure of Sarveli, the place of the second striker was vacated.

In turn, cooperation with Valery Karpin would not only bring valuable experience to Agalarov, but also allow him to create a springboard for future entry into the base of the Russian team.

If Mateo Cassierra left, the roads to Sochi would also open.

Although after Vladimir Fedotov said goodbye to the coaching bridge, the future of the team became a little more vague, there are still prospects.

The southerners remain silver medalists and have a good selection of players in the middle line who can help Agalarov repeat or even surpass his own performance last season.