The transfer of Arsen Zakharyan from Dynamo to Real Sociedad has become one of the most expensive sales of a Russian RPL player abroad. According to Transfermarkt, the San Sebastian club will pay the Muscovites 13 million euros for the 20-year-old midfielder, only five largest deals in the entire history of the Russian championship. More than for Zakharyan, European buyers paid in different years for Golovin, Zhirkov, Pavlyuchenko, Arshavin and Alexei Miranchuk. Let’s remember these transfers.
Arsène talks about his move to Real Sociedad
“I collected 33 reports on him.” Why Zakharyan and Royal Society were chosen
Alexey Miranchuk, from Lokomotiv to Atalanta for 14.5 million euros
Miranchuk’s transfer is the last major move for a Russian player in Europe before Zakharyan’s move to Real Sociedad. Three years ago, in September 2020, Atalanta signed the midfielder from Lokomotiv for 14.5 million euros and Alexey signed a contract until the summer of 2024, which he is still working out.
It is not surprising that Miranchuk was in special demand in Italy (Juventus, Milan and Inter were interested in our player), because in the fall of 2019 he scored against Juventus in the group stage of the Champions League. . And both in Moscow and in Turin. Alexei dreamed of a higher league, so he refused to renew his contract with Lokomotiv on more favorable terms. At the Moscow club he could receive a salary of 3.5 million euros a year, while in Bergamo, according to Italian media, he earns 1.7 million euros.
“I knew it was more, I didn’t know it was that much,” Miranchuk admitted. “But the last thing on my mind was losing money. I want to get out of my comfort zone.”
Alexey Miranchuk
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Everything went well, but so far Alexey is not satisfied with his career in Atalanta. In the first two seasons he participated in 56 games (14 times he appeared at the base), scored nine goals and gave seven assists. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini did not trust Miranchuk too much. The midfielder played last season on loan at Torino and returned to Bergamo this summer. His future at Atalanta is in doubt.
Andrey Arshavin, from Zenit to Arsenal for 16.5 million euros
Arshavin wanted to leave Zenit for a big European club in the summer of 2008, after winning the UEFA Cup with the St. Petersburg team and the successful Euro 2008 with the Russian team. However, the Zenit management was not willing to part with the blue and white star and favorite of the fans. Waiting for an offer that “it is impossible to refuse.” Andrei dreamed of Barcelona, but the Catalans did not close the deal. At Zenit, jokingly or seriously, they answered: we only change for Lionel Messi.
In general, in the summer window of 2008, the transfer of Arshavin did not take place, and in the winter of 2009, the story of the transition dragged on not just to the last day, but to the last hours and minutes! ! The negotiations between Arsenal and Zenit were difficult. Andrey himself said that the last works were sent after the deadline. The British authorities made concessions and registered the contract only because the Gunners’ representative presented evidence of technical problems that affected the execution of the agreement. Bad weather caused power outages.
Andrey Arshavin
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Arshavin spent four and a half years at Arsenal, but returned to Zenit on loan for six months. He played 144 games for the London team, scoring 31 goals and giving 46 assists. But he didn’t win trophies with the Gunners.
Roman Pavlyuchenko, from Spartak to Tottenham for 17.4 million euros
The successful performance of the Russian team at Euro 2008 helped Pavlyuchenko leave for Europe. In that tournament, the Sleeping Giant woke up and showed all his abilities: he scored three goals against Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. After the European Championship, the forward played a few more matches for Spartak, but in August 2008 he left for England, six months before Arshavin.
It is curious that Pavlyuchenko did not want to change Spartak to the Premier League club. Roman was persuaded to take a step forward in his career by his agent Oleg Artyomov and even by the then general manager of the rojiblanco team Valery Karpin. Tottenham made a painfully generous offer – more than 17 million euros – and the forward was convinced thanks to a personal conversation with the London team’s coach. “Juande Ramos said in English that his team needed me, that I would play for him, that everything would be fine. The translator picked up the phone and translated it for me, ”he recalled his first conversation with the Spaniard Pavlyuchenko.
Roman Pavlyuchenko
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As a result, Roman stayed in England for three and a half years. He played 113 games for Tottenham, scoring 42 goals and giving 10 assists. In addition, the striker admitted that in the winter of 2012 he was in a hurry to return to Russia, that is, with a transfer to Lokomotiv. He had to keep fighting for a place at the base, because in England he got high on football.
Yuri Zhirkov, from CSKA to Chelsea for 21 million euros
Zhirkov also became the star of Euro 2008, he was included in the symbolic team of the tournament along with Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko and Konstantin Zyryanov. However, he remained in Russia for another year. In the summer window of 2009 alone, he moved from CSKA to Chelsea for a record amount for a Russian footballer at the time.
Zhirkov’s story was closer to Pavlyuchenko’s story than Arshavin’s. Yuri did not aspire to Europe either, he felt comfortable at CSKA. Although the left winger/midfielder was even interested in Barcelona. But the leadership of the army team agreed with the club of Roman Abramovich, and Zhirkov went to Chelsea.
Yuri Zhirkov
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Yuri spent two years in England. He played 49 games for the Londoners, in which he scored one goal and 12 assists. He won the league, the FA Cup and the Super Bowl. But adaptation in this country turned out to be difficult, and everyday problems interfered.
“When the second child was born, they denied him a visa, he had to live alone. It’s hard: not seeing your wife, not knowing how children grow. All this, of course, affected the game. At some point I realized that no one can or wants to help me. In parallel, I saw that Pavlyuchenko himself had an interpreter and an assistant. He had no one, ”Yuri recalled.
In the end, Zhirkov decided to return to Russia. He was sold to Anji for 15 million euros.
Alexander Golovin, from CSKA to Monaco for 30 million euros
And Golovin went to Europe thanks to a brilliant performance in a major national team tournament. The 2018 World Cup at home did good publicity for the CSKA midfielder. The Russian national team reached the quarterfinals, and Alexander himself was the main character and scored 1 + 2 in four games.
30 million euros: no one has ever paid so much for a Russian footballer! However, Monaco did not regret the record amount. Indeed, at that time the 22-year-old midfielder showed himself well in European competitions, in the spring of 2018 he scored in the Europa League playoffs against Lyon and Arsenal. In addition to Monaco, Juventus and Chelsea were looking at Golovin. But the young Russian did not go too far: he started with the French championship. Yes, and CSKA received the best offer from the Monegasques.
Alexander Golovin
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Golovin now begins his sixth season at Monaco. Over the years, Alexander played 178 games for the Monegasques, scoring 22 goals and giving 33 assists. The Russian midfielder has become one of the team’s leaders and most expensive players, but he never won any trophies with Monaco. At the end of last season, the Monegasques didn’t even get to compete in Europe. Perhaps Golovin stayed in France and should move to a stronger league before it’s too late. According to rumors, there were offers from England and Germany.
