The era of self-sufficiency: RPL clubs do not seek to buy new foreigners after the departure of the old ones

A little more than a day is left before the start of the new season in the Russian Premier League, but already now we can state that the massive outflow of foreign players has taken place.

Only this summer, 36 people officially left the clubs of the elite division.

If we take into account the Rubin and Ufa that have taken off to the First League, then the number increases to 43 at all. However, it is not entirely correct to take them into account, because most of the foreigners always leave the teams that go down in class, since there is a limit in the FNL much tougher, and as a rule, there is no opportunity to pay them the previous salaries.

If you look at the performance of the previous two summer transfer windows, what happened is not too alarming.

So, in 2021, 41 footballers left Russia, and in 2020, 50 at all. However, firstly, most of them either went on paid leases, bringing in a lot of money, or, conversely, returned from leases.

As for the current off-season, many left in the spring, when FIFA first allowed legionnaires to suspend the validity of agreements.

A few months later, they only strengthened their desire to go to other championships.

Secondly, the number of foreigners who arrived is much more obvious.

In 2022, there are only 16 of them, and seven have already played in the RPL on loan, and the rights to them were bought out: Jorge Carrascal (CSKA), Christopher Martins Pereira (Spartak), Darko Todorovich (Akhmat), Zakhar Volkov (Khimki), Olakunle Olasegun, Jnatan Okoronkwo and Ifeanyi David Nduka (all - Krasnodar).

For comparison, last summer 38 foreigners joined the rosters of domestic teams, and 39 the year before last.

Thus, given the strict restrictions, clubs are trying not to invite foreign players, rightly fearing that they could leave at any time.

An exception to the rule can be called Lokomotiv, which acquired Lucas Fasson and Marco Racognac.

Or performers well known from the game in the RPL are taken.

So, Zenit bought two leaders from Sochi at once - the Colombian striker Mateo Cassierra and the Brazilian defender Rodrigao.

The giants were expected to suffer the most from the mass outflow.

For example, CSKA lost six people at once.

Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Yusuf Yazici have returned from loan spells at Everton and Lille respectively.

It is possible that they could have remained in a different international situation, for example, the Turk has repeatedly expressed such a desire.

Emil Bohinen moved to Salernitana, Hördur Magnusson did not renew the agreement, although, according to media reports, he was close to it, and Chidera Ejuke and Arnor Sigurdsson suspended them.

Five people were missing "Spartak" - Ezequiel Ponce, Gus Thiel, Jordan Larsson, Alex Kral and Samuel Gigot.

However, it is not entirely correct to include the latter on this list, since he spent the second half of the season in Moscow on loan, and moved to Marseille in the winter.

Krasnodar and Dynamo lost four players each.

The white-blues in this anti-rating will most likely catch up with the red-whites in the near future, since Croatian Nikolo Moro does not intend to remain in the team either.

However, some top clubs, on the contrary, got out of the situation with the least losses.

The fact that Zenit limited themselves to the departure of Yuri Alberto is not surprising, because foreigners in St. Petersburg receive large salaries that they are unlikely to be offered in other countries.

However, it cannot be ruled out that one of the partners will join the attacker.

At various times, European clubs' interest in Wilmar Barrios and Wendel has been reported.

But the competent work of Lokomotiv in the market surprised, because the players there are not able to offer conditions comparable to the champion.

The railroad had to release only the Czech striker Jan Kuhta.

This process, as expected, did not affect the middle peasants and outsiders much.

Torpedo, Fakel and Orenburg, which entered the RPL, were missing only two performers, as was Nizhny Novgorod.

And the “Wings of the Soviets” completely saved everyone.

If we talk about trends, then in general, domestic clubs, due to FIFA's decision, have practically lost the opportunity to earn money on transfers of foreigners.

However, some have managed to do so.

So, Spartak sold striker Ezequiel Ponce for €4 million in Elche, but the parties reached an agreement long before extending the permission for legionnaires to suspend the contract with the club.

Rubin, after leaving the FNL, agreed with Midtjuland to buy Anders Dreyer back for €5 million, although a year ago they acquired him for €7 million. The same Spartak lost Gus Thiel to PSV for only €3 million, losing transfer of €15 million. However, in the current realities, the teams have to agree to frankly unprofitable offers.

CSKA sold Emil Bohinen to the Italian Salernitana for €3.25 million and even made money on it.

Krasnodar received €2.5 million from Espanyol for Tonny Villena, who once cost €9 million. Finally, Lokomotiv agreed with Sparta on a paid rent of Kukhta for €1 million.

Zenit, on the other hand, found another way to get compensation for Alberto and rented two compatriots for him from Corinthians at once - goalkeeper Ivan and winger Gustav Mantuan.

Perhaps in the future, the rivals of St. Petersburg in the RPL will also use this method.

However, most of the legionnaires either terminated the existing agreements by mutual agreement, or used the permission of the international federation.

The first group included football players who had previously made no secret of their desire to leave Russia and left for other countries in the spring.

So, Jordan Larsson openly admitted that he did not want to play in the Premier League while the special operation in Ukraine continues.

It is not surprising that in the summer the red-whites released the Swede.

But the example of Eric Botheim stands alone.

In May, it was reported that the Norwegian terminated the contract with Krasnodar, although they paid € 7.5 million for it. However, according to media reports, the Scandinavian did it unilaterally, and the southerners filed a lawsuit with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

It is very curious whether CAS will support them, especially given that the player has already joined the Salernitana squad.

But many chose not to leave Russia completely, but to suspend their contract.

This list includes more than ten people.

Some left in the spring and were not going to return, for example, the Pole Grzegorz Krychowiak and the Ukrainians Denis Kulakov and Ivan Ordets.

But the actions of individual performers surprised.

For example, at the end of June Ejuke swore allegiance to CSKA and assured that he did not intend to leave.

Just a few days later, he, along with Sigurdsson, changed his mind and can now move to the German Hertha.