Akron has landed the most intriguing lot on the free agent market. Artyom Dzyuba will play for the Togliatti team until the end of this season. And if he proves himself and proves himself, he will surely be able to stay for longer. The forward is 36 years old, but he has always said that he will play as long as his health allows him. And, apparently, everything is fine with him.
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Where could Dzyuba go in the summer?
Artyom left Lokomotiv in a bad mood. In the spring he sat on the bench, according to insiders, he rejected the possibility of an automatic contract extension, and in the summer the club itself refused. According to various sources, he earned around 1.5 million euros a year at Loko. But now Cherkizovo is not willing to pay such sums even to the youngest players. On June 1, the legendary player became a free agent and his representatives began looking for a new adventure for the client.
The first option was Pari NN. The governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin, had long wanted to invite Dzyuba to the regional team. But, probably, a lot depended on financial needs: the striker did not want a sharp drop in money. So we first waited for the board meeting, and then consulted with Sasha Ilic. Apparently, the coach said that he did not need such a striker.
Artyom Dzyuba
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
At the same time, rumors about Khimki appeared. However, the team’s coach at that time, Andrei Talalaev, accurately described the characteristics of the newcomers: “We need players who form systems, but not moral monsters.” He did not specify whether this had anything to do with Dziuba, although some interpreted it that way. As a result, the club abandoned the forward. And later – from the services of Talalaev himself.
At the same time, football media life revolved around Dziuba. He was called to Rodina Media, to FC 10, but nothing happened. His agent said that the player was not interested in this story. He also passes through China, where Leonid Slutsky works. There is a strict limit. And the priority was to stay in the RPL. This is logical, because one of the important motivational stories for Artyom is statistics. And to become the top scorer in the history of Russian football and surpass Alexander Kerzhakov, he needs to score only five goals.
There weren’t many options left. As a result, on the last day of the transfer window, Akron. And this was a bit of a surprise.
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Why did Dzyuba choose Akron?
At the beginning of August, the club’s general director Alexei Vlasov stated that the striker was not on the club’s shortlist due to serious financial needs. At the same time, at the end of the month, in a conversation with the Championship, he hinted that the transfer of Dzyuba or Georgy Dzhikia to the club was still possible.
Alexei Vlasov
CEO of Akron
“I hope there are more transfers to come. And we will confirm the transfer of several players soon. We understand the positions that are important to strengthen. So everything depends on the progress of the negotiations. There is more than one objective. Was there any contact with Dzyuba and Dzhikia? I think this possibility and probability is on the surface. But at the moment this situation is not developing. I cannot say whether we had contact with them or they with us. You know, never say never. For now I cannot say anything more specific. Let’s wait until September 12.”
According to the league, the club had already contacted Dzyuba in June. Then their representatives offered the services of the striker, but the demands were too high. At the same time, the parties continued to communicate. And in August, the striker’s wishes became a little more modest. According to a source from the league, the striker decided to reduce his salary compared to the money he earned at Lokomotiv. At the same time, his contract provides for a good bonus system for effective actions.
Probably, the club sees Artyom as a person who can become a leader not only on the field, but also in the locker room. And he will dilute the rather young Akron squad. The team, according to our information, reacted positively to the news of the arrival of such a high-status striker. And the transfer itself, naturally, was agreed with the head coach – for Zaur Tedeev it is also a new experience to work with such a high-status footballer.
The club, by the way, made an interesting announcement about the arrival of the striker. A notice appeared in a Samara shopping centre urging people to go to the airport and meet the striker. This is a reference to the activities on the Telegram channels dedicated to “Wings”, where people were also invited to meet Ivan Sergeev. True, few people responded.
Yes, Akron’s motto is “young and vibrant.” Artyom doesn’t really fit the first word. However, he is definitely capable of making a name for himself in the new club.
