Lovren's departure, Agapov's transfer and Dziuba's refusal: what happened in the RPL in the new year

Appointment of Ivić and purchase of Kadi

Krasnodar started the new year more actively than all the giants.

In early January, the club announced a change in head coach.

The place of Alexander Storozhuk was taken by Vladimir Ivich.

At the same time, the Russian remained in the structure of the southerners and again headed the farm.

In the person of the Serb, they got one of the most interesting young specialists in Europe, because he achieved success in several countries at once.

With PAOK, the mentor won the Greek Cup, and with Maccabi Tel Aviv, twice the Israeli championship and the Super Cup.

Moreover, in the 2018/19 season, the team won gold medals with a record lead of 31 points from the closest pursuer.

With his success, Vladimir attracted the attention of Watford, who had taken off from the nuclear submarine.

And he coped with a new challenge: the team under his leadership fought for a return back to the elite.

But just a few months after the arrival, the coach was fired due to a conflict with the wards.

Stylistically, the Serb fully suits Krasnodar.

He relies on fast attacking football with active high pressing.

At the same time, the foreigner is known as a fairly tough person.

For this reason, too, he did not get along with the players at Watford: he allegedly even required them to leave their phones in their cars.

Also, the southerners managed to replenish their ranks with two newcomers.

Midfielder Kadi stands out from them.

The Brazilian began his European career in Portugal, but opened up in Azerbaijan's Qarabag.

For him, the midfielder spent a total of 75 matches in which he scored 28 goals and gave the same number of assists.

Including he scored in the qualification of the Champions League and the Conference League.

For the 26-year-old all-rounder, capable of playing both on both sides of the attack and as an attacking midfielder, the club did not spare € 2 million.

Less is known about the other recruit.

Young striker Moses Kobnan David is just taking his first steps in professional football, but he spent the first half of the current season brilliantly in the Slovak Zelezjarn Podbrezov.

13 goals in all tournaments convinced the leadership of the domestic team of the need to pay € 1 million. But Krasnodar may lose one player in the near future.

Defender Sergei Borodin is allegedly ready to move to Israeli Beitar on loan.

Among the options are called "Khimki".

Losses of Zenit and strengthening of CSKA

And Zenit has already lost one of its key defenders.

On January 2, the Petersburgers announced the departure of the Croat to Lyon.

On social media, he thanked the fans and stated that he enjoyed 2.5 years spent in "the most beautiful city in the world."

On the one hand, Sergei Semak was left without an experienced captain.

On the other hand, in July he will be 34 years old.

In addition, the footballer is prone to injury: only last year he missed almost half a year due to a knee injury.

Blue-white-blue also managed to earn €2 million on it and unload the payroll.

Where more seriously capable of hitting the team is the possible departure of Wendel.

According to media reports, the leading midfielder is thinking about leaving the country and has already discussed this with management.

However, there is no talk of breaking the agreement.

In the camp of the current champions, they are ready exclusively for the sale of the Latin American.

In the meantime, Zenit is strengthening the ranks with other Brazilians.

Corinthians President Duilio Monteiro Alves has confirmed that Youri Alberto will continue to play for the team.

Instead, defender Robert Renan and midfielder Du Queiroz will go.

According to the head, the first will sign a contract in the near future, and the second - in the middle of the year.

Gustavo Mantuan will also stay in Russia until the summer.

But goalkeeper Ivan, who has played only four matches in the Cup of the country, will return to Corinthians in the winter.

While Zenit was left without a key destroyer, CSKA, on the contrary, strengthened its defensive line.

The army team still managed to agree with Nizhny Novgorod on the transfer of Ilya Agapov.

According to Transfermarkt, he had to pay €1.3 million. But one of the most talented young defenders in the country became a Muscovite player before the end of 2027.

The pupil of Rubin, who had not played a single match in the RPL before, clearly showed himself this season.

In the summer, he was invited to Nizhny Novgorod by a friend from joint work in the youth team, Mikhail Galaktionov.

The newcomer quickly became a key performer of the team and, starting from the fourth round of the Premier League, he missed only one game due to disqualification.

Moreover, in November, Agapov received his debut call to the national team, although he has not yet played in its composition.

The arrival of a young athlete who is excellent at playing three central defenders will save Vladimir Fedotov from the headache that he regularly experienced in the fall due to injuries to Igor Diveev, Kirill Nababkin and Bruno Fuchs.

In addition, the Brazilian went on loan to Atlético Mineiro.

Spartak's interest in a Serbian midfielder and Lokomotiv's offer for a forward from the USA

Nizhny Novgorod themselves had the opportunity to strengthen the composition of Artyom Dzyuba, who is in the status of a free agent.

The general director of the club, Ravil Izmailov, confirmed that the footballer's representatives had approached him, but assured that he did not intend to invite him.

“Our policy is not to take players for big money.

Yes, he is a star performer, but already old.

Our strategy is clearly demonstrated by the situation with Agapov.

There were no negotiations with Dziuba and there will not be, ”the Championship official quotes.

Among other options for continuing a career, Sivasspor was called, fighting for survival in the Turkish Super League.

Allegedly, the head coach Riza Chalymbay turned to the management with a request to sign the striker.

But President Mejnun Otyakmaz called this information gossip and stressed that the striker had played too few matches this season.

Really interested in the Russian, according to the press, in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but he does not intend to go there yet.

If CSKA has already carried out the first official transfer in the new year, then other metropolitan giants are still eyeing possible newcomers.

For example, it is reported that Spartak is interested in three legionnaires at once.

One of them, central defender Jawad El-Yamik, recently made a splash at the World Cup in Qatar with the Moroccan national team.

Moreover, he started the tournament in the status of a substitute, but in the last three meetings of the tournament he entered the field from the first minutes.

The athlete's agent Andrea D'Amico confirmed that his client is still interested in red and white.

They are also ready to strengthen the defensive line with Tomas Tavares, who can play on both flanks.

Allegedly, the Benfica graduate is going to be offered a salary of € 1-1.2 million per year, plus bonuses.

Moreover, we can talk about both renting and a full-fledged transfer.

Buying a talented young defender seems like a good option.

However, the player’s health problems are a serious minus: he missed almost the entire last year due to the break of the “crosses”.

In addition, the Portuguese almost did not get practice in his native Benfica and was regularly sent on loan.

As a strengthening of the center of the field, Muscovites are considering the candidacy of Getafe midfielder Nemanja Maksimovic.

It is noted that the Serb himself is not against continuing his career in Russia.

However, the stumbling block in the negotiations runs the risk of being its cost.

According to media reports, the Spanish team demanded €5.5 million for the midfielder, but Spartak is not going to pay such an amount.

In turn, Lokomotiv, which at the end of December signed three high-quality domestic performers at once (Ilya Lantratov, Sergey Pinyaev and Maxim Glushenkov), apparently also studies foreign markets.

So, according to insider Ivan Karpov, the railway workers are fighting Zenit for PAOK defender Sverrir Ingasson, who previously played for Rostov.

It is noted that both clubs intend to take him on loan with the option of subsequent redemption.

But the general director of the Greek team, Makis Gagatsis, said that he had heard about it for the first time.

Even more implausible is the rumor about the interest of the red-greens in the American striker of the Turkish Antalyaspor Heiji Wright and the willingness to pay €6 million for him. The athlete’s agent Mitat Khalis stressed that Muscovites have no chance of acquiring a client, since he is a US citizen.