Artem Dzyuba will spend the next season in Lokomotiv Moscow. On Thursday, May 25, the forward extended his contract with the railwaymen until the summer of 2024 with the possibility of extension for another year. The news of the signing of the new agreement did not come as a surprise. The striker joined the team in the spring. He was faced with the task of helping the team maintain their registration in the RPL, and he certainly coped with it.
In spite of critics, who, after the failure in Turkey, had already sent the 34-year-old Russian to retire, the footballer scored eight goals and gave four assists in 11 matches in all competitions, becoming the most important link in the attack of the red-greens.
"In the winter, when we invited Artem to the team, we immediately agreed with him and his representative that if the tasks were completed, Lokomotiv would be a priority choice for continuing his career. Therefore, within the framework of the initial agreements, we began to negotiate a new contract. They passed quickly and with full mutual understanding on both sides. Now our common goals are to return the Lokomotiv football club to a leading position, "said Lokomotiv sports director Dmitry Ulyanov in a comment to the team's press service.
It should be noted that the railwaymen with the arrival of head coach Mikhail Galaktionov, as well as with the appearance of Dzyuba and young Maxim Glushenkov with Sergey Pinyaev in the second part of the season were transformed. After the winter break, the team in the Russian championship suffered only one defeat from Zenit (1: 2), but in this match the red-greens looked decent.
In terms of the number of points scored in the spring, Lokomotiv ranks first (26), ahead of CSKA (25) and Zenit (24), which frankly relaxed after winning the championship. Such a breakthrough allowed the team to fly from the 14th line to the ninth and even fight for the eight strongest. Two rounds before the end, the gap from Orenburg is only one point.
At the same time, recent matches have shown that Artem really plays an important role on the field. In his absence, due to a slight injury in meetings with Krylia Sovetov (1: 1) and Fakel (1: 0), the attack of the railwaymen looked bloodless. In the confrontation with Samara, Wilson Isidor's shot from the penalty area helped, and the ball was sent into the goal of Voronezh by substitute Anton Miranchuk. After that, experts even began to talk about the "jubo dependence" of the team.
Galaktionov also admitted that with an experienced striker, his team has much more options in attack.
"When we plan the course of the match and analyze the opponent, we think about what kind of player we need and in which zone. We needed a player who could cling to balls. Unfortunately, the sharpness was not enough. Of course, when Dzyuba is available, we will have more options in attack. We lacked specifics and sharpness. And it was very important for us not to fall for Fakel's counterattack," the coach said after the meeting with the Voronezh club.
Most experts reacted positively to the extension of the contract with Dzyuba. According to the former midfielder of Spartak and Celta Alexander Mostovoy, the Russian is able to play at a high level for at least another five years.
"You can't get away with skill. What can I say, if we have 38-year-old Christian Noboa recognized as the best football player, and he is still the leader of his club. So is Artyom. Therefore, by extending the contract with Dzyuba, Lokomotiv competently invested in its future. He will still show everyone, "said the interlocutor of RT.
Lokomotiv coach Dmitry Loskov, in turn, drew attention to the fact that Artem quickly joined the team and found a common language with his mentor and partners.
"How is it working with Dzyuba now? Chic. He shook the team both in and out of the locker room. A couple of times he already crammed, so to speak, and people went down a little. Stronger than Barinov? Barinov is not like that, he proves more on the field, and Dzyuba can shout somewhere. It brings results. He shows his game. Although I always ask him: "How do you do it? You're running slower than me." The authority of the head coach does not hurt. He is experienced, he went through our school. They joke with each other, tease each other. But no one is offended," Loskov said during a conversation on the YouTube channel "Sychev podcast and Denis Kazansky".
The striker himself, in a brief interview with the press service of the railwaymen, also noted the importance of communication within the team. As the striker admitted, he really likes the atmosphere at Lokomotiv.
"I'm glad I'm staying... I have a great relationship with the head coach, with the coaching staff in general. And, of course, with the team. We have a very good connection. I'm glad to play here with the guys. I hope that we will still "make some noise" (smiles)," Dzyuba said.
Artem will be able to "make some noise" in the match of the 29th round of the RPL with Dynamo Moscow. The striker says that he has already recovered from injury and is ready to prove himself in the confrontation with the blue and white.