When does the winter transfer window begin? Winter transfers

We bring to your attention ten players who may change clubs in the next transfer window.

10th place - Wayne Rooney

Two Chinese clubs are preparing a tempting offer for the Red Devils striker. Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Guoan want to lure Wayne to China with a salary of 700 thousand pounds a week. Considering that things haven’t been going well for Rooney at Manchester United lately, the Englishman’s move to the Chinese Super League is quite likely.

9th place – Julian Draxler

Wolfsburg midfielder Julian Draxler has officially become a PSG player. For the 23-year-old footballer of the German national team, the Parisians will pay about 45 million euros. It was previously reported that Liverpool and a number of other top European clubs are also interested in Draxler. The race for the German talent was eventually won by the French, who, apparently, decided to seriously strengthen themselves during this transfer window.

8th place – Mario Mandzukic

Moscow Spartak seems to be seriously aiming for the championship. The club's management wants to strengthen the squad this winter, and therefore is actively working on the transfer market. Croatian Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic also fell into the sphere of interests of the national team. As far as we know, Mario is in no hurry to accept Spartak’s offer, but the transfer of Gremio and Brazilian national team striker Luanu to the red-and-white camp is quite real. According to rumors, the forward will cost the Moscow club 22.5 million euros.

7th place – Axel Witsel

For Zenit fans, the question of when Witsel will finally leave has been relevant for several years now. The Belgian does not hide the fact that he simply does not want to be part of the St. Petersburg team. And if earlier the midfielder was wooed to Juventus, now they are talking about Barcelona itself. True, the likelihood that the Belgian will leave in winter is extremely small. And indeed, why pay money now if you can take him in the summer as a free agent.

6th place – Darijo Srna

Oh, and the Croatian midfielder stayed too long in the Donetsk team. It would seem where to go when you are already 34 years old. But no, it looks like Srna will still leave Shakhtar, for whom he has been playing since 2003. Possible employers include West Ham and Barcelona.

5th place – Dimitri Payet

One of the heroes of Euro 2016, midfielder of West Ham and the French national team, Dimitri Payet, seriously interested PSG. According to the Daily Mail, the Hammers are not going to part with their main star for less than 36 million euros. The money is certainly big, but not for the French champion.

4th place – Alan Dzagoev

This is not the first time we have been hearing that the Russian CSKA midfielder is close to moving to one of the European clubs. During this time, Alan turned from a young talent into a completely mature player. Considering that the army team will face serious personnel changes in the near future, the time for Dzagoev’s departure from the team is most suitable. According to rumors, several English Premier League clubs are seriously interested in Alan, including Swansea, Everton and West Ham.

3rd place – Antoine Griezmann

Another Frenchman in our ranking who will most likely change clubs this winter. Antoine had a mixed season. On the one hand, having failed the finals of the Champions League and the European Championship, on the other hand, he largely contributed to his teams getting to these very finals. For the third player of the year according to France Football magazine, a serious struggle unfolded between the two Manchester clubs. According to the latest data, Griezmann is closer to joining the Red Devils. In the event of this transfer, the Mancunians are ready to part with two of their young talents: Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

2nd place – Fedor Smolov

The best domestic football player and the undisputed leader of the RFPL scoring race for the last two years, Fedor Smolov, may move to Borussia Dortmund this winter. Negotiations are currently underway between the player and the club. If the Russian’s transfer to the German superclub does take place, then this will certainly become the most high-profile transfer for Russian football in recent years. According to rumors, another football player from the Russian Championship, Serdar Ozmun, may join Smolov in Dortmund.

1st place – Lionel Messi

It is almost impossible to believe, but the fact remains a fact. The Chinese club Hebei China Fortune intends to offer the Barcelona forward simply incredible conditions - a contract for five years and half a billion euros, 100 million euros per year. The Argentine may be tempted by such a tempting offer, given his love of financial fraud and his difficult relationship with the blue garnets lately.

The fabulous money offered by the Chinese club should not mislead anyone. No matter how much the Chinese pay for Messi’s transfer, and no matter what fee they set for him, this transfer will in any case more than pay for itself. Sales of souvenirs and T-shirts with club attributes, growing interest in the Chinese football league and, as a result, new television contracts will justify any money spent on the Argentine. In addition, Lionel will bring millions of fans with him to the team. So such a development of events may turn out to be quite real. The only question is: is Messi ready to deal Barcelona fans such a blow?

The time indicated in the broadcast is Moscow

00:30. The last day of the application campaign for Russian clubs has ended. As often happens, fans did not receive high-profile transfers to their favorite teams. Probably the most significant event was the rental Andrey Eshchenko to Dynamo Moscow. This means that the clubs are ready to play and show good football with their previous squads. See you at the stadiums during the Premier League matches, all the best, have a nice weekend!

00:15. And here are the words of the executive director of the Russian Premier League Sergei Cheban. “The winter transfer window closed at 00:00. Everything was carried out in accordance with the regulations. Those players who came to play in the Russian Premier League or simply changed clubs will definitely surprise and delight us. I would like to wish a good season to our fans, we are waiting for them at the stadiums in a week.

Due to the fact that managers of Russian clubs and RFPL employees work very professionally, everything has been going smoothly and in a timely manner for a long time. Every year there are fewer and fewer complaints about the documents. The requirements accepted by FIFA, UEFA, RFPL and RFU are being met and everyone understands that this is very serious. Lately, no nuances have arisen.

You know that Kuban was allowed to add players to the application literally today, so representatives of the Krasnodar club were the last to arrive. We were not surprised that there were no signings “on the flag”, because the economic situation in the clubs is difficult. We were ready for any option,” Nikita Kuzin, a correspondent for the “Championship,” reports Cheban’s words.

23:59. That's it, the transfer window in Russia is officially closed! We are waiting for a comment from the Executive Director of the Russian Premier League soon Sergei Cheban"in hot pursuit".

23:45. The last minutes remain for the teams to make transactions. Finally, detonate with a “bomb”, it’s not for nothing that everyone sits until midnight and waits!

23:30. “Kuban” did not surprise us at all. The official Twitter of the RFPL reported only about the application for the second part of the season of already well-known newcomers.

23:15. A little "offtopic". Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov became the owner of the English Premier League club Everton. A source in the English Premier League close to the deal told the Championship about this.

23:00. Representatives of “Kuban” appeared at the RFPL office. Either we are expecting another newcomer in their lineup, or we are talking about those players whose transfers were known in advance.

22:45. “Terek” dispelled all doubts about Welliton’s transfer. General Director of Grozny Akhmed Aydamirov made an unequivocal statement. “I can say that Welliton will definitely not be at Terek. It’s too early to say whether we will try to acquire it in the summer,” TASS quotes Aidamirov.

22:30. It is not surprising to anyone that Dynamo announced Andrey Eshchenko. There was no point in renting a player just like that.

22:15. The evening ceases to be languid. "Wings of the Soviets" rented Gianni Bruno from Evian. A defender has also been announced for the second part of the season. Vitaly Kalenkovich.

22:00. Arthur Yusupov will continue his career at Zenit. The footballer's agent Kakhor Muminov told the Championship correspondent about this. “I don’t even want to comment on this pseudo-insight published on one of the city resources. Nonsense from the first to the last word. “Zenit” never even thought about loaning out Yusupov. Accordingly, there could be no refusal. Arthur is preparing, along with the others, for the important games of the Russian Cup, the Champions League and the starting regular championship.” Let us remind you that Dynamo was again interested in the footballer’s services.

21:45. Considering the fact that the time for transitions is running out, “Championship” conducted a survey among experts and agents,

21:30. We have a couple of hours left before the transfer window closes. It’s quiet in the forest, but Spartak is not sleeping, Spartak wants to buy Remy and Bendtner, that’s why the red and whites are not sleeping. We are waiting, everyone is waiting.

21:15. While the RFPL clubs do not intend to carry out high-profile transactions, let’s move on to the FNL. Gazovik signed a contract until the end of the season with the Volga striker Nikita Satalkin. Last season, the 28-year-old forward became Sakhalin's top scorer with 10 goals, and in the autumn part of the current FNL championship he scored five goals for Volga.

21:00. The series of rumors continues. “Sportfact” is trying to assure us that today it will not sign a contract with “Kairat”. In Kazakhstan, the transfer window is still open, the player and the club will have a chance to discuss all the nuances.

20:45. Arsenal Tula completed three transactions on the last day of the transfer window. This is the goalkeeper Alexander Filtsov, defender Maxim Belyaev and midfielder Igor Gorbatenko.

20:30. “Mordovia” still will not strengthen. According to Sport Express, Saransk were unable to agree on a lease agreement with Bilyaletdinov and Sheshukov. Well, they will try to play without them.

20:15. It turns out that Kuban wanted to sign not only Evgeniy Seleznyov, but also another player from the Ukrainian national team. As Match TV reports, the Kuban people were interested in the Dynamo Kyiv player Oleg Gusev. True, the midfielder himself refused to move to the yellow-green camp.

20:00. New addition to Valery Karpin's team!

19:45. Zenit-2 announced Jovanovic to the FNL, and he has the right to play only there. According to the regulations, he will not play for the main Zenit team.

19:30. “Krasnodar” announced a number of players, including defender Mikhail Tikhonov, on the final day of the winter transfer window, according to the official website of the RFPL. The 17-year-old football player was announced for the Bulls with the 42nd number. The young defender is the son of Krasnodar coach and legendary Spartak Moscow midfielder Andrei Tikhonov.

19:15. Three more RFPL teams are preparing transfers. One of them is Moscow. The “Championship” became aware of this.

19:10. “It’s nice to return to Dynamo and once again become part of a club with a great history and great traditions. 10 years ago I was young and inexperienced, so I couldn’t stay at Dynamo. Now everything will be different, and I will try to bring maximum benefit to the club. My goal for the near future is to be in the starting lineup and achieve a positive result with the team. I’m sure we will succeed,” Dynamo’s press service quotes Eshchenko.

19:00. Andrey Eshchenko successfully passed a medical examination and entered into a loan agreement with Dynamo until the end of the season.

18:45. Tula Arsenal, son of the former sports director of Dynamo Moscow. Midfielders Dmitry Smirnov, Sergei Ignatiev and striker Alexey Bazanov, who started the season in Arsenal-2, are declared for the main team of Arsenal. In addition, midfielders Andrei Gorbanets, Maxim Mashnev and striker Igor Shevchenko were announced for the main team.

18:30. “Spartak” included in the application for the season Kirill Kombarova, reports the RFPL website. Previously, the red and white rejected Kirill, but apparently did not find a club for the player.

18:15. Amkar loaned out a 19-year-old midfielder Ivana Belikova to Lokomotiv from the city of Liski.

18:00. "Rostov" stated Nika Kacharava. The 22-year-old forward was recognized last year as the best young player in the Georgian championship. And this season he scored 13 goals in 15 matches.

17:45. Shamil Asildarov became a player for Volgar Astrakhan, reports Sportbox. The agreement with the 32-year-old forward runs until the end of the season. Let us remind you that Volgar takes fourth place in the FNL.

17:30. Representatives of “Rostov” arrived at the RFPL office. Are we waiting for transfers from Rostovites?

17:15. Rinat Bilyaletdinov, father of Rubin midfielder Diniyara Bilyaletdinova, . Earlier, some media reported that the football player could continue his career in the Saransk club on loan.

17:00. Chairman of the Chamber for Dispute Resolution of the RFU Konstantin Lyakhov reported that with the Krasnodar “Kuban” after the execution of all decisions of the chamber by the jurisdictional body. “The Krasnodar club fulfilled its obligations to Lokomotiv, Dynamo, CSKA, Krylia Sovetov, a professional football player Frolov and football coach Kuchuk“,” Lyakhov said in a conversation with “Championship” correspondent Galina Kozlova.

16:45. Rubin has completed its winter transfer campaign. Let us remind you that defenders moved to the Kazan team Emil Bergström, Andrey Pilyavsky as well as midfielders Denis Tkachuk And Miyo Tsaktash.

16:30. "Ural" terminated the contract by mutual agreement with Andrey Gorbanets. In addition, the “bumblebees” were leased Denis Fomin in "Textilshchik".

16:15. Agent Ivan Marko Benes, representing the interests Niklas Bendtner, stated that to Wolfsburg from Russian clubs.

16:05. But this is interesting! In the near future, Mordovia will be strengthened by a famous football player. The Championship learned about this from a source close to the club.

16:00. "Anji" included in the application for the season Jonathan Mensah. Let us remind you that the Makhachkala team signed a contract with the Ghanaian defender for 2.5 years. Previously, Mensah played for the French Evian.

15:50. Krylia Sovetov rented a Belgian forward Gianni Bruno until the end of the season, reports the R-Sport agency. In the current edition of the French Ligue 2, the Belgian played 21 matches for Evian, in which he scored four goals and received a yellow card.

15:35. Ural added a midfielder to their roster Alexandra Ryazantseva. Let us remind you that the midfielder will play for the club from Yekaterinburg on loan until the end of this season.

15:25. Former Spartak forward Welliton may return to the RFPL. General Director of Terek Akhmed Aydamirov.

15:10. Former midfielder of Zenit and the Russian national team, where he is negotiating with Kairat. Earlier it was reported that Arshavin would sign a one-year contract with the club from Almaty and could make his debut on March 8 in the match for the Kazakhstan Super Cup with Astana.

14:55. Montenegrin midfielder Nikola Drincic announced that he is retiring from his career, Sportskacentrala reports. The 31-year-old football player's last club was Maccabi Haifa, with whom he terminated his contract in January of this year.

14:40. Wow! Forward of the Russian national team and Zenit Artyom Dzyuba is included in the sphere of interests of Lazio, calciomercatonews reports. It is reported that the management of the Roman club, since Miroslav Klose is close to retiring, and forward Alessandro Matri will return to Milan from loan at the end of the season. The Italian side is watching Dziuba’s game. According to the source, the Romans can offer Zenit €10-15 million for the transfer of the 27-year-old striker.

14:25. If it doesn’t work out with Bendtner, then Spartak has a second good option - a Frenchman Loic Remy. There have been rumors that the red-and-white coaching staff is interested in him for a long time. Rumor has it that the Frenchman even flew out for a medical examination. If it is successful, Muscovites will be ready to sign a contract with him.

13:30. Lokomotiv midfielder Alexander Sheshukov will continue his career at Mordovia. According to Sovetsky Sport, the Saransk club is renting the 32-year-old football player from Lokomotiv until the end of the season.

13:20. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg itself did not confirm media reports about Spartak’s interest in Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner. Earlier, information appeared that the forward could move to the red-white camp, and the Germans are ready to release their player for € 4-5 million. “At the moment I can’t say anything about this, perhaps information will appear during the day,” - TASS quotes the press service of the German team.

13:15. Forward of the Danish national team and Wolfsburg Nicklas Bendtner by the end of the week he could move to Spartak, reports Sport Bild. It is reported that the 28-year-old forward, who lost his playing experience in Germany, informed the club management of his desire to leave. According to the source, the player himself agrees to move to Russia, and Wolfsburg is ready to let the Dane go for € 4-5 million. The player’s current agreement runs until June 30, 2017. Moscow's Spartak, as well as a number of Chinese clubs, are interested in Bendtner's services.

13:00. Greetings to all football fans! We are pleased to offer you a text broadcast of the last day of the transfer campaign in Russia. Usually, it is at the end that many interesting transitions happen.

The economic crisis has seriously hit our clubs' wallets. Star legionnaires did not come to our championship in winter, although there were constantly rumors about potential newcomers with names either for Spartak or for Zenit.

Domestic giants decided to focus their attention on the domestic market, completing several high-profile transactions. CSKA signed Romana Shirokova, who again left his former team, Spartak, with a scandal. In addition, a midfielder came from Kuban to increase the width of the “bench” Sergey Tkachev.

Zenit unexpectedly quickly arranged the transfer of two national team players at once, buying the rights to Alexandra Kokorin and Yuri Zhirkov. “Spartak” stole the best RFPL all-rounder from under the noses of competitors Lorenzo Melgarejo, closing one of the problematic positions.

The only exception was Lokomotiv. Oumar Baye Niass went to conquer England, and in his place came Ezekiel Henty. Plus he arrived from the same “Kuban” Vladislav Ignatiev.

The Kuban players, however, not only sold, but also grew stronger. Recently it became known that the striker of the Ukrainian national team has joined the ranks of the yellow-greens Evgeniy Seleznev.

The winter transfer window is close to closing. On Monday, February 1st, trading ends in Spain, England, Italy, France, and on Tuesday, February 2nd - Germany. Everyone who did not have time to update their trains or, conversely, shed unnecessary ballast, will be able to realize their cherished dreams on these days.

In order not to get lost in this truly Babylonian madness, follow the vicissitudes of the closing transfer window with us. Transfer online, from 11 am on Sunday until the victorious German end, will tell you about all the significant (and not so significant) transfers in Europe and beyond. Go!

02.01.2016

19:00. It's finished! The transfer window for Bundesliga clubs has closed de jure. Although de facto it didn’t seem to open at all...

17:18. The German market seems to have finally calmed down, so let's note the signing of Malaga. A team that did not take root in the Mexican Tigres.

15:50. 21-year-old Grasshopper goalkeeper Timothy Dieng as a free agent he moved to Duisburg, which plays in the second Bundesliga.

15:10. Hertha confirmed that its midfielder Enis Ben-Khatira moved to Eintracht Frankfurt.

14:50. There is no official confirmation of this transfer, but there is a photo in which the sports director of Borussia Monchengladbach poses with the 17-year-old Paraguayan striker Cerro Porteño. Julio Villalboy.

14:23. Kikker reports that Wolfsburg are ready to pay Basel €27 million for the striker Brelya Embolo.

13:30. Sky Sports writes that Pep Guardiola's first signing as Manchester City manager could be the Barcelona goalkeeper. Claudio Bravo, for which the “townspeople” are willing to pay 30 million pounds.

12:50. Someone Dmitry Selyuk stated that Yaya Toure, most likely, will leave Manchester City in the summer. Yes, it's not the Bundesliga, but it doesn't do anything to be talked about.

12:20. Germany is so active that it has to feed on yesterday's news. For example, Augsburg rented the Real Sociedad striker until the end of the season. Alfred Finnbogason. The Icelander does not give up hopes of going to the Euro, although he has not outgrown the Dutch championship.

11:45. In the meantime, there is no news from Germany, let's move to yesterday's England. Swansea City signed the Queens Park Rangers midfielder on the final day of the winter transfer window. Leroy Fehr.

11:30. Lokomotiv midfielder Mbark Boussoufa returned to Gent, where he began his professional career, the club's official website reports.

15:40. Everton attacking midfielder Aiden McGeady On loan he moved to Sheffield Wednesday, which now plays in the English second division. The agreement is for six months.

15:35. Former AC Milan and Trabzonspor midfielder Kevin Constant returned to the Apennines, Bologna became the new club of the 28-year-old Guinean. The lease agreement runs until the end of the 2015/16 season, but the contract contains an option to extend cooperation until the summer of 2018.

15:25 . Evgeniy Konoplyanka's team has been strengthened by an experienced defender. London Tottenham. Let us note that the Argentine defender played for the “red-whites” before moving to the Spurs camp. The form of the transaction is a six-month lease.

15:20. Manchester United attacking midfielder. The player himself is not against returning to Spain, and the Mancunians promise not to interfere with the transfer of 27-year-old Mata and are ready to listen to the offer of the Catalan club.

15:05 . Rayo Vallecano forward on loan. The Guinean striker will finish the 2015/16 season in Ligue 1 and return to Spain in the summer. Reims does not have the right to buy Bangur.

14:50. Ukrainian legionnaires “Stuttgart” Boris Tashchi and Artem Kravets have a new teammate Federico Barba. After strengthening the attacking line in the person of Kravets, the Swabians signed a young talented defender with an Italian passport, who had previously played for Empoli.

14:30. There is not much time left until the window slams shut, and none of the giants has pleased us with anything yet. We have to be content with little. For example, Viktor Skripnik and him from Tottenham. But he, by the way, is the world champion among youth.

14:00 . . An English source reports this. The Gunners had previously tried to persuade the Dynamo president to let the Ukrainian go to London, but Igor Surkis stood his ground. It is reported that Arsenal has the funds for the transfer and plans to sign Andrei in order to somehow compensate for the losses of leading players.

13:55. Interesting information from Portugal. The publication A Bola reports. But for now, this is just talk. The fate of this issue will depend on whether the Japanese leaves Sporting Junya Tanaka.

13:50. News about Yarmolenko. Just not about Andrey, but about Artem, the defender of the youth team of Dynamo Kyiv. . Interesting turn of events.

13:45. Everton signs Lokomotiv Moscow striker Baye Oumara Niasse. The talented Senegalese forward, who has scored 13 goals in 23 appearances for Lokomotiv this season, has already arrived in England. The asking price is 18 million euros.

13:40. Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio reports that the Ukrainian Vasily Priyma will leave Torino on loan at Frusione.

12:10. Cardiff signed on loan from Belgian side Kortrijk Kenneth Zohore. It's official.

12:03. . This was reported by the website of fans of the Lugansk team. Previously, Ilya played for Zaporozhye Metallurg, and now he will listen to the recommendations of Yuri Vernidub, who loves to educate young people.

11:59. Arsene Wenger has raised serious doubts that Mathieu Debuchy will leave Arsenal this winter. Aston Villa, Sunderland and Bayer Leverkusen were interested in the Frenchman, but the deal most likely will not take place. Although, sources claim that there is also an option with a lease agreement.

11:55. Received "freedom" from Krasnodar Kuban Andrey Arshavin. Now the 34-year-old former London Arsenal player is a free agent.

13:00. Juventus seems to have reached an agreement with Corinthians regarding the transfer of a super-promising attacking midfielder Matheus Pereira. Only the transition will take place in the summer.

12:40. Having gotten rid of ballast named Borja Lopez, Monaco signed the 23-year-old defender from Atlético Mineiro. Zhemerson. Contract for 4 years.

12:15. “Los Angeles Galaxy” have seriously begun to buy up veterans. Following Ashley Cole and Jelle van Damme, the 31-year-old Milan midfielder also moved to California. Nigel de Jong. The Los Angeles Times writes that the transfer cost the Galaxy less than $1 million.

12:00. Monaco central defender Borja Lopez, who visited four teams in 2.5 years and played only three matches during this time, moved to Barcelona B.

11:45. Rayo Vallecano closed two transfers at once early in the morning. Udinese midfielder arrived on loan until the end of the season Manuel Iturra and old acquaintance Francisco Medina Luna returned from Granada, or simply Petey.

11:32. AS reports that Independiente have refused to sell Real Madrid winger Martin Benitez as they intend to loan him to another club. The Galacticos were ready to pay 12 million euros for the 21-year-old footballer.

11:17. They say Diego Simeone intended to, but Chelsea didn’t let him.

11:07. And just a small disclaimer: since Spain is closing today, the main focus will be on it. But if Yarmolenko is suddenly noticed in London in the Emirates area, you will be the first to know about it.

For starters, the English press and Chelsea, which is ready to shell out £60 million for Antuage Griezmann.

How do we approach the winter transfer window?

In recent years, Spartak fans have been waiting for the opening of the transfer window more than their birthday. Some people call on everyone to sell and recruit new ones. Others demand to spend as much money on buying players as a famous club from the banks of the Neva. But not this time, not in the winter of 2016/2017. When the team is in first place and experts spend all day long speculating whether Spartak will win such a long-awaited gold, the lineup began to suit everyone. Nowadays everyone demands, as it is fashionable to say, point amplification. Despite the chance to fight for the championship, it will be very difficult and expensive to really strengthen the red and white in the winter. Newcomers should not add imbalance to the team, but add depth to the squad. Powerful acquisitions should be postponed until the summer, when it will be clear in which European competitions the team will take part. And now you just need to try to duplicate clearly expressed problematic positions. Let's try to figure out what these positions are?

Rodionov skipped chemistry classes.

Still, I will remain in my opinion that the purchase of Selikhov (an undoubtedly talented and very promising goalkeeper) came at a very bad time. Zenit could also have lured Alexander from snowy Perm, but they played more professionally than their Moscow colleagues. Now Yura Lodygin just needs to come to his senses and calmly continue working in training, avoiding unnecessary mistakes due to nervousness. He understands that despite his mistakes, people believe in him. How Rebrov will act now, having such a competitor behind him, we will only be able to see in the spring. It's not even about the competitor itself, but about trust. Goalkeeper is always a “special” position and a lot here depends on the psychology and trust that the goalkeeper receives, which allows him to feel confident and get rid of mistakes caused precisely by nervousness and not skill. The example of Dzhanaev is very indicative in this regard. Complete trust, or even faith in Soslan on the part of Berdyev and especially Kafanov, made Dzhanaev one of the best goalkeepers in the country. Sergei Rodionov's train of thought as a manager is, in principle, clear: he acquired the best young goalkeeper in the country for his club. But team chemistry doesn’t just come from recruiting strong players. This is a deeper and more complex concept, which is influenced by a huge number of both external and internal factors. Spartak in the fall of 2016 is precisely a combination of factors: a new charismatic coach, long-awaited luck, successfully integrated newcomers, an experienced core of Russians. Rebrov is an integral part of this “chemistry” and how the acquisition of Selikhov will affect this, I have a big question. For some reason, Sergei Yuryevich ignored precisely these factors, which I consider a big mistake.

Red and white Juventus.

This season, Spartak, led by Dmitry Alenichev, unexpectedly played a 5-3-2 scheme throughout the preseason. Three central defenders and Kombarov and Yeshchenko playing along the entire flank. Spartak played the first three rounds using a 5-3-2 scheme. Massimo Carrera is not particularly fond of this formation and already in the fourth round he switched to the 4-3-2-1 formation. Thus, for the first fourteen rounds, Spartak played in two different formations: 5-3-2 and 4-3-2-1. Depending on the match scenario, switching from one scheme to another during the game. When everyone is healthy and has no red cards, the line-up looks like this: Rebrov - Yeshchenko, Kutepov, Taski, Kombarov - Fernando, Glushakov, Zobnin - Ananidze (Popov), Promes - Ze Luis. Of course, when the game follows Alenichev’s tactics, Bocchetti is added as the third central defender, and accordingly Ananidze (Popov) is sent to the bench.

Regardless of the scheme, over fourteen rounds Kombarov played in the left-back position 13 times and Yeshchenko once. In the place of right-back, over 14 rounds, Eshchenko started 10 times (in the 5th round he was sent off and disqualified), Mauricio three times and Zobnin 1 time. Taski and Kutin came on as substitutes once each. During the first 5 rounds, Yeshchenko fit into the new team, got used to it, made mistakes, but due to his excellent physical shape, the entire attacking game in 5-3-2 was built through his flank. In the 5th round he received CC and Mauricio took the place of PZ, the formation was changed to 4-3-2-1. The Brazilian was not ready for such a turn of events and got so hot from behind that Carrera sinfully swapped him for Taschi in the 70th minute. In the 8th round, Eshchenko missed out due to injury and Mauricio appeared on the right again, result: 0-1 from Ufa in the home arena. How many times in that game Ufa ran on a counterattack and could have scored, I won’t remind you. In the 9th round against Zenit, Kombarov is eliminated and Yeshchenko painlessly moves into his place. The left-back position can be duplicated at the expense of the ex-Dynamo player. This is another indisputable advantage of Yeshchenko - he can play on both flanks without loss of quality, thereby essentially being Kombarov’s backup in this position. But on the right we have to release Mauricio again. He is not the only one to blame, but the result of the game in St. Petersburg is 4-2 in favor of Zenit. Here it finally becomes clear that Kombarov can be replaced with the help of Yeshchenko, but on the right there is no one at all to replace Yeshchenko himself. Mauricio is not an option for playing on the flank; he simply lacks attacking potential. Before the game in the 10th round with Rostov, it became clear that Yeshchenko would not be able to play the entire game. Carrera drew conclusions and did not torment Mauricio any longer. For a 5-3-2 formation, defensive skills are undoubtedly important, but physicality and attacking potential outweigh. Still, having three central defenders and defensive midfielders, it is possible to build a competent safety net. But having lost active runs and serves from the flank, the attacking game sags greatly. Zobnin has excellent physical fitness and attacking potential. Carrera released him as a right-back. There is no point in returning to the events of the match, the result is on the scoreboard.

Who if not Kutepov?

Injuries and disqualifications happen all the time, and sometimes there are several at once and for a long time. If Kutepov drops out and already in 5-3-2 there are three foreign players playing at the back (Mauricio-Taschi-Bocchetti), which makes it incredibly difficult for the head coach to vary the lineup during the match. After all, no one has canceled the limit on foreign players. The young guys Putsko, Khomukha, Kutin are on the way, but they are unlikely to be immediately entrusted with a place in the fight for the championship. Objectively, they are not ready for this. Yeah, we put a tick on the central lock with a Russian passport. Let’s narrow down the “problem”: Kutepov. If it falls out, due to the limit, the rebuild will affect all lines. With an eye on spring, we define the search zone: Central defender with a Russian passport. And do you know much of their Champions League/Level level? Therefore, we advise the Spartak management to remember the Russian defender who has experience in Germany, the European Championship and European Cups. Who? Roman Neustedter.

Taking into account that he sat down on the bench at Fenerbahce (after all, Skrtel and Kjaer forced him out of the lineup) and that Taski has long wanted to leave Moscow, the exchange option looks very promising. In the summer, Besiktas wanted to acquire Serdar and was ready to exchange him for the very interesting defender Milosevic, but Taschi dreamed of staying in Germany. I, being one of the initiators of the idea of ​​an exchange, met great interest in this from Besiktas, but for a number of different reasons it was not possible to convey this idea to Spartak. When the opportunity arises, I will definitely tell you in more detail about Milosevic and this story. There is a feeling that the same exchange scenario could be acceptable in the case of Neustaedter. It’s stupid to remember the 2016 European Championship and say that Roman is weak. He played essentially out of his position, and he made few obvious mistakes. At the RFPL level, this is an excellent option. That’s all there is to it, there are simply no other options with a Russian central defender. If you think that Burlak, Semenov or Dzhikia are footballers who will help fight for the championship, well... Better pay attention to Granat, with experience in the Champions League, they beat Bayern... I hope my irony is clear.

Unexpectedly irreplaceable Yeshchenko.

Yeshchenko and Kombarov are not just flank defenders, they are one of the main links in the attacking game. What happens when Tail and Canopy are unable to take part in several matches in a row? Mauricio will come out instead of Yeshchenko (it is already clear that the central locks are also being shuffled not for the better). But the Brazilian, for all his merits, is inferior to Andrey (imagine this could happen) in attack. There is also Makeev, but even the most inveterate optimists will agree that Zhenya is no longer a cake. Yeshchenko can play instead of Kombarov and the club will not lose its attacking potential, so it turns out that there is simply no one to replace Yeshchenko in Spartak. We define the position of the right back (with the current requirements in Spartak for a player in this position) as a weak point. Task: the right “edge” should be strengthened (please do not confuse it with strengthen). With all the diversity of Spartak’s attacking players, the most important positions there are occupied by foreign players, and Carrera is unlikely to want to change anything here. Well, who and most importantly why can you change Promes and Ze Luis? We conclude that PZ must be Russian. It is not possible to buy Smolnikov and Fernandez, so we look below. And this is what we need: endurance, physical strength, high starting and distance speed, well-placed serve. The main thing: experience playing in a formation with three central defenders. I found three of these:

• Denis Terentyev (FC Rostov in the future is capable of becoming the main player of SM)
• Brian Idovu (FC Amkar, yes, he is our guy and at the same time, like Yeshchenko, he plays both right and left)
• Ibragim Tsallagov (FC Krylya Sovetov, he will impose competition, and then it’s up to the coach to decide).

Low cost, salary is also reasonable, I have a Russian passport. Of course, there are other guys, but it’s hard to imagine how Karavaev will show himself (a great PR move, as they say, “CSKA is in shock”), who has never played in a scheme with three central locks. And Andreas Beck (Remember this one?) still has to stand in line at the migration service to submit documents for a passport, where he still has to explain why he came to the Russian Embassy and not Kazakhstan.

Well, what if for the sake of the Brazilian championship? We’ll give him a passport later...

If you really want to take a right-back legionnaire (all strong options in winter are very expensive and it’s really difficult to simply pull a person out in the middle of the season), then you need to replace one of the foreigners in other positions with a holder of a Russian passport. The central zone is such a fine-spirited organization that perhaps only Real Madrid can afford to make changes here during the season. Yes, and there are no problems in Spartak in this zone now. Fernando, Glushakov, Zobnin and Romulo as substitutes simply do not raise any questions now. But there are options in attack. Instead of Ze Luis, they could take Fedor Smolov, he has reached a new level and is rightfully considered the main striker of the Russian national team. This is, of course, expensive, but not impossible. “Spartak” is “Spartak” and if they want someone from Krasnodar, they will take him. Another thing is that a million questions arise: why? Is it justified? There is no point in ranting here, this is just a demonstration that if you take the right back of a foreign player and add a “Russian” position to the attack, then in today’s Spartak, strengthening among the Russians can only be very expensive and controversial. Alexei Miranchuk (FC Lokomotiv) can also easily fit into the attacking trio, who has a year left on his contract and, according to FIFA rules, the so-called “safe period” has begun, when a player can buy out his contract without the risk of disqualification (and you thought all the fuss just swirled around him?). I’ll tell Lokomotiv fans a secret: Miranchuk can now be picked up for just pennies. Don't believe me? Zhemaletdinov will help you. There is also a couple from FC Rostov: Alexander Erokhin and Dmitry Poloz (to a lesser extent, but why not?). The yellow-blues are experiencing financial difficulties. If these candidates are controversial to you, then I do not insist that only they and no one else. I'm just demonstrating that if Spartak buys David Alaba in the winter, then instead of Ze Luis or Promes you will have to consider one of the above Russians. Yes, Spartak has six Russians in the starting lineup, which allows Carrera to strengthen the game from the bench with foreign players like Popov, Ananidze or Romulo. But if you replace one of these Russians with a conditional Alaba, then Massimo will be able to strengthen his game only with the help of Zuev, or Kombarov, who will sit on the bench under Alaba. Variability, balance and rotation of positions are complex tasks facing the selection department of Spartak. Therefore, in response to the rumors that have appeared regarding Jikia, I will say this: Sergei Yuryevich, are you sure?

What's the result?

Let's try to summarize the above. There is no need to chase a “star” in the coming off-season. The team is on the move, the microclimate is at a very decent level and it is worth postponing significant acquisitions for the summer transfer window. Being euphoric from the beautiful autumn and the real chance to compete for the championship, so close in many years, you can spare no money to buy a strong player and break the entire current situation. If the leadership of the “people's team” finds any interesting foreign players for attacking positions, then first they should think about selling Melgarejo and Popov. It is very important to acquire a right-back with a Russian passport, as we found out, not for the base, but close to it. Think about “passportists” in the attacking line, so as not to depend on the limit on foreign players. If you buy a player for the starting lineup, then get rid of his competitors in order to avoid a riot among those dissatisfied with their playing time. Difficult? Well, you don’t become champions simply by buying and selling players. Still, selection is not a game of football manager.

It is believed that in Europe the transfer window closed on the night of February 1, but in Russia there is still time for purchases and sales. The transfer window in Russia officially started only on January 25, and it will close on February 24.


Transfer window in Europe 2017

What notable transitions took place almost at the last moment? Belgian Genk midfielder Bailey, who is compared to Patrick Kluivert (primarily in appearance), moved to the German Bayer for 11 million euros. He is 19 years old.

The famous Emmanuel Adebayor, who seemed to have finished his career, finally found a job and went to play in Istanbul.

There is important news for Peter too. Ranocchia went to the English Hull, and Branislav Ivanovic is 100 percent ready to play for Zenit. He has already had his photo taken in a T-shirt with the logo of the blue-white-blue club.

As for the top transfers of the entire winter off-season, the top five should definitely include the transfers of Oscar from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG for 60 million euros, Dimitri Payet from West Ham to Marseille for 29 million, Memphis Depay from Manchester United to Lyon for 16 million, Julian Draxler from Wolfsburg to PSG for 40 million.

Transfer window in Russia 2017

In the RFPL, major transfers are still possible; there is time until February 24. The top transfer at the moment is the transfer of Axel Witsel from Zenit to Tianjin Quanjian. As we can see, China has tried very hard and created a real commotion in the player market.