Zenit must get rid of at least five players. Who is leaving?
Anatoly Romanov August 7, 2024, 08:00 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
There are eight candidates for transfer this summer.
Zenit has the strongest squad in the RPL, not only in terms of the quality of players, but also in terms of quantity. Despite the fact that Vasyutin, Odoevsky, Fernandez, Adamov, Krugovoy and Bakaev left the St. Petersburg club during the summer transfer window, there are still too many players in the main squad of the Russian champion – 28 people. Although for the season it is enough to have two squads – a couple of goalkeepers and 20 field players. Someone must leave Zenit before the summer transfer window closes. The application is not a rubber stamp. In addition, Sergei Semak is waiting for one or two more newcomers.
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Who is the odd one out on the list of champions? Take part in the vote and choose who Zenit should part with. We have selected the most obvious candidates for the ranking, taking into account the players’ playing time and ideas about their future. But you can vote for others. Write in the comments who should leave the St. Petersburg club and why.
During the voting, players will be allocated 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 through the search page, you will only see the generated list without voting buttons.
Ranking: Who should leave Zenit?
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Ilzat Akhmetov
Akhmetov has been with Zenit for eight months, but in St. Petersburg it is as if he has not even been noticed. The versatile midfielder has played only six times for the blue and whites and has only been substituted twice in the RPL. Sergei Semak used Ilzat most often in the Russian Cup, but even in this tournament the winter newcomer did not play the full 90 minutes. At the beginning of this season, Akhmetov is out of the lineup in all matches. The coach spoke about the player’s injury and his speedy recovery. It seems that Ilzat is already studying in a general group. We are waiting for him on the field. Or are we not waiting at Zenit?
Photo: Elena Razina, “Championship”
Alexander Kovalenko
20-year-old Kovalenko will apparently be one of those young footballers for whom the period at Zenit brought only trophies, but no benefits in terms of professional development. For more than a year as a member of the Russian champion, Alexander played only six matches in the RPL (not one in the starting lineup) and eight in the National Cup. In the new season, the midfielder was included in the squad three times, but never entered the field. Experts have already spoken out several times about the possible rental or sale of Kovalenko, however, he is still at Zenit.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
rodrigao
In Rodrigao’s first season at Zenit, 2022/2023, the Brazilian’s place in the team was not in doubt. He played very solidly. Then Erakovic and Nino appeared at the St. Petersburg club, and the 28-year-old Brazilian himself began to be hampered by injuries. So this season he left due to injury after the first match of the Russian Super Cup against Krasnodar, in which, by the way, he scored a header. This summer there was information that Rodrigao could leave for Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, so the future of the foreign player in the team is in doubt.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Alexei Sutormin
Sutormin spent last season on loan at Sochi, which did not help him keep his place in the RPL. In the summer, Alexey returned to Zenit. Despite his versatility and experience, the 30-year-old former Russian national team player, capable of playing on the right flank of defence and in midfield, does not seem to be of much use to Sergei Semak either as a defender or as a midfielder. The competition in these positions is already quite high. This season Sutormin did not spend a single minute on the field; he was only in the squad for the cup match against Fakel.
Photo: Elena Razina, “Championship”
Wilson Isidore
A year ago, Zenit loaned Izidor to Lokomotiv with the right to buy the player’s rights. Obviously, after the Frenchman’s failure last season, the St. Petersburg club would have happily refused to activate the option to buy the striker, but it worked automatically. In that championship, Wilson scored only two goals for the “sky blues” in the RPL, and when he entered the field, he left the team’s game. This summer, there are rumors that Zenit will try to sell Izidor somewhere. There was an option with Brest, but it failed. His departure seemed inevitable. But the Frenchman is still in the team and even scored two goals in three games of the new season.
Photo: “Championship”
Another player should leave Zenit
If you think Zenit should sell or loan out another player, then vote for this option. Although it is difficult to imagine who else could be transferred to “clean up” the squad. Erokhin, almost 35, was extended for a year in the summer and is already proving that it was not in vain: he scored and participated in another goal-scoring attack in the match against Fakel. Why get rid of him? Perhaps the club wants to free up a place for a foreign player by selling Mantuan or will meet Mostovoy, who dreams of Europe, and let go of the winger, who has not looked like himself since last season. However, I still do not believe much in transfers of such players.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Ivan Sergeev
Sergeev had a great first season and a half at Zenit and found his role as an “ideal substitute”. In terms of his ability to open up in the penalty area, he looked perhaps the best Russian striker. But Ivan’s last season turned out to be grey. This is, of course, the RPL, as in the National Cup he became the top scorer with five goals. At Zenit, players sometimes play without room for error. In the summer, it unexpectedly became known about the desire of the St. Petersburg club to part with Sergeev if they signed Sobolev from Spartak or another striker. They talk about Ivan’s return to Samara. And he himself seemed to weaken. So far he has played only twice in the new season, without any results.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Dmitry Vasiliev
The 20-year-old Zenit player occasionally gets playing time from Sergei Semak. Vasiliev has 17 appearances for the blue-and-whites so far, and has been in the starting lineup six times. This season, the central midfielder came on as a substitute at half-time in the cup match against Fakel. For some reason I found myself out of place and made several mistakes. It is rare for Semak to speak publicly about the unsuccessful actions of specific players, but the coach pointed out Vasiliev’s mistakes after the meeting with the Voronezh players. It seems that a talented young footballer needs to go somewhere to practice steadily in order to grow.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Dmitry Chistyakov
In the off-season, Chistyakov returned from Sochi, where he spent the second half of last season on loan. Judging by the defender’s words, he no longer wants to go anywhere. “I am a Zenit player and I want to stay in the team. I want to show myself here,” Dmitry admitted. But the St. Petersburg team with Chistyakov is recruiting five central defenders: Nino, Erakovic, Rodrigao and Alip are also in the application. In such circumstances, it will not be easy to even get into the match list. In the new season, the Zenit graduate played only once – about 20 minutes in the Russian Cup.
