The best summer transfer of the RPL in the 2024/2025 season
Georgy Ilyushchenko September 14, 2024, 07:45 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The choice before us is serious.
Gone are the days when stars of the level of Hulk and Mathieu Valbuena came to Russia, however, there are many interesting transitions to the RPL. The summer (and a bit of autumn) transfer window has just ended. It’s time to determine the most interesting upgrade and we leave this task to you.
Choose the most valuable newcomers, not necessarily just one. During the voting, players will be assigned to their places. The rating depends entirely on the votes of the “Championship” readers and is formed online.
If you think an option should be lower, press the down arrow “↓”. If you want to move an option up in the list, press the up arrow “ ↑”.
Important: The “Ranking” feature only works in the regular version of the “Championship”. If you accessed this material via the search page, you will only see the generated list without voting buttons.
Ranking: The best RPL summer transfers in the 2024/2025 season
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Ezekiel Barco
From: River Plate To: Spartak Transfer amount: 14 million euros
The record-breaking move to the RPL is entirely justified for now. Barco has become a fixture of the league: he feints beautifully, passes accurately and scores, including a direct free-kick. If only he could keep up the high level.
Photo: Elena Razina, “Championship”
Maxim Glushenkov
From: Lokomotiv To: Zenit Transfer amount: €6.3 million
Glushenkov was spectacular at Loko, but at Zenit he completely went off the rails. In a good way. Seven games, 9+1, but of course he is a “Russian Brazilian”. It seems that his super connection with Wendel has been in the works for years.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Evgeniy Latyshonok
From: Baltika To: Zenit Transfer amount: €300k.
Zenit have been unable to find a strong number one since Vyacheslav Malafeev’s career ended. It seems that the search can now be narrowed down: Latyshonok has started rescue efforts.
Photo: PFC “Wings of the Soviets”
Ivan Sergeev
From: Zenit To: Krylia Sovetov Transfer amount: 2 million euros
Sergeev had a great time in St. Petersburg and was a wild card that brought him many victories. But lately he has given way. “Wings” is the club where he became the top scorer. A very important reunion for both parties.
Photo: Sergey Apenkin, “Championship”
Danila Kozlov
From: Baltika To: Krasnodar Transfer amount: 1.25 million euros
In the second half of last season, Kozlov proved that even at 19 he can cope well at the RPL level and improved Baltika a lot. Krasnodar took one of the most promising Russians – it sounds promising. They know how to work with youngsters.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Danil Krugovoy
From: Zenit To: CSKA Transfer amount: free agent
This transition became known in the winter, but this does not negate his importance for CSKA. Krugovyi took the left flank of the army like a glove and has no problems with practice anymore. It even makes you wonder: how did you play before without him?
Photo by: FC Zenit
Luciano Gondu
From: Argentinos Juniors To: Zenit Transfer fee: 12 million euros
The Argentine striker immediately showed why Zenit had signed him, scoring twice in his first two games. At the same time, he is also an all-rounder: he can play on the right and can follow the ball. A real car.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Andrei Lunev
From: Qarabag To: Dynamo Transfer amount: free agent
Largely due to goalkeeping errors, Dynamo failed to become champions last season, even though the competitors gave them chances. So what! The white-and-blue management solved the problem efficiently.
Photo: PFC “Wings of the Soviets”
Thomas Galdames
From: “Godoi Cruz” To: “Wings of the Soviets” Transfer amount: €650 thousand.
The Chilean left-back immediately began to show quality, scoring a brace and assisting in the first two RPL matches. It is very difficult for the Wings at the start of the season. And without Galdames, their situation would have been completely calamitous.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Dmitry Vorobyov
From: Orenburg To: Lokomotiv Transfer amount: 2.5 million euros
Vorobyov barely moved to Loko and immediately started making himself useful, scoring 3+2 in seven matches and immediately being called up to the national team. He has already scored 24 goals per season in the First League. It’s time to repeat it in the RPL.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Marquinhos
From: Ferencváros To: Spartak Transfer amount: 5 million euros
Spartak and Lokomotiv fought for a long time for the technical and fast winger. He chose the red and white, and the transition looks very promising. It is not for nothing that Marquinhos was coached by Dejan Stankovic in Hungary.
Photo: FC Dynamo Makhachkala
Mohammad Javad Hosseinezhad
From: Sepahan To: Dynamo Makhachkala Transfer amount: €900k.
The attacking midfielder with a difficult-to-pronounce surname was a fixture in Makhachkala football and in the RPL in general. In the first match, he scored the winning goal from outside the box. And then he provided an assist in an empty net. If he continues like this, he will quickly move to a top club.
Photo by: FC Khimki
Georgy Dzhikia
From: Spartak To: Khimki Transfer amount: free agent
The question “where will Dzhikia end up?” was relevant until the last seconds of the transfer window. It is not clear why Khimki needs another centre-back, where there were already seven. But it is even more interesting to see whether Georgy will revive his career.
Photo by: FC Rubin
Veldin Hoxha
From: Rijeka To: Rubin Transfer amount: 2 million euros
A 21-year-old Croatian youth team fan, who was also signed for much cheaper than his market value of 3.5 million euros. Despite his position, he knows how to score goals: in the spring he scored a hat-trick in the Croatian championship. A very interesting transfer.
Photo by: FC Krasnodar
Diego Costa
From: Sao Paulo To: Krasnodar Transfer amount: 7.5 million euros
Krasnodar brought in a completely different Diego Costa than the one everyone knows. But this is even better. The club suffered the loss of Junior Alonso and replaced him effectively: they conceded only three goals in seven matches, a great achievement for the Brazilian.
Photo by: FC Lokomotiv
Cesar Montes
From: Almería To: Lokomotiv Transfer amount: 6 million euros
A quality central defender with experience playing in La Liga and in the strong Mexican national team. It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract foreign players to Russia, but Loko managed to do it. And it is good, because the railroaders have problems in defense.
Photo by: FC Khimki
Anton Zabolotny
From: CSKA To: Khimki Transfer amount: free agent
Zabolotny is a time-tested quality. He has proven it at Khimki, scoring 2+2 in seven matches. He quickly became the team’s leader and is taking it with him. Definitely a successful transfer, considering the absence of a fee for CSKA.
Photo by: FC Akhmat
Daniil Utkin
From: “Rostov” To: “Akhmat” Transfer amount: rent
The midfielder already played in Grozny three years ago and had a great season there with 12 effective actions in the RPL. It is time to return the indicators to their usual place.
Photo by: Akron
Artyom Dzyuba
From: Lokomotiv To: Akron Transfer amount: free agent
Dzyuba was free for a long time and registered in Akron only on the last day of the transfer window. The transition added status to the Togliatti team, and Artyom again has the opportunity to become the top scorer in the history of Russia: to overtake Alexander Kerzhakov, it is necessary to score five times.
Photo by: CSKA
Saul Guarirapa
From: Sochi To: CSKA Transfer amount: rental for €400k.
The Venezuelan almost saved a desperate Sochi in the spring, scoring eight goals in 10 RPL matches and securing promotion. And CSKA urgently needed a quality striker. In general, all the stars aligned.
Photo: FC Dynamo Makhachkala
Hamid Agalarov
From: “Akhmat” To: “Dynamo” Makhachkala Transfer amount: €500,000.
Agalarov proved to be incredibly talented in Ufa and became the top scorer in the RPL there. But things didn’t go his way in Grozny. Maybe in his native Dagestan he will remember what it’s like to score a lot and be a fear of defenders?
Photo by: FC Dynamo Moscow
Arturo Gomez
From: Cruzeiro To: Dynamo Transfer amount: 5 million euros
It’s not every day that a player who scored against Tottenham and Eintracht in the Champions League comes to Russia. And in the first case, after a solo pass. This guy definitely knows how to work magic. RPL defenders must be extremely focused.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Zelimkhan Bakaev
From: Zenit To: Khimki Transfer amount: rent
The last years of Bakaev’s father’s career, including the last period at Spartak, are pure sadness. But do we remember how he tore it apart before? A restart at a new club is a great opportunity to remind him that he was written off early.
Photo by: FC Zenit
Alexander Sobolev
From: Spartak To: Zenit Transfer amount: 10 million euros
There are many doubts about the transfer from a moral point of view, especially among Spartak and Zenit fans. But in terms of football alone, St. Petersburg have long needed a high-quality forward line, as Sergei Semak used to say. And they got it.
Now let’s decide which transfer campaign was the best overall:
Classification
The best summer transfer campaign in the RPL in the 2024/2025 season
