Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Rumour Roundup: June 5th, 2013

Welcome to the first ever transfer rumour roundup on From Beyond the Iron Curtain. Each week I'll sort transfer rumours into four categories: completed deal, looking likely, 50/50 and low chance of completion. Let's get underway.

Completed Deals:
Ukraine captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk will return to Zenit on a free transfer on July 1st. The 34-year-old previously spent 2 years at the St. Petersburg club, scoring 18 goals in 100 appearances, before moving to Bayern Munich, where he earned two UEFA Champion's League runners up medals and lifted the trophy once.

Looking Likely:
Valencia midfielder Tino Costa appears to be close to sealing a move to Spartak Moscow for a fee in the range of €7 million. It is believed that personal terms and a fee have been agreed, although the playmaker still needs to complete a medical

Andrei Arshavin could return to Zenit on a free transfer when his contract at Arsenal expires on July 1st. The former Russia captain moved to Arsenal from the St. Petersburg club in 2009 but found playing time hard to come by and moved back on loan in the second half of the 2011-12 season.

CSKA playmaker Keisuke Honda has declared that his "mission [at CSKA] is complete" as he edges for a move to AC Milan. Milan are reportedly interested in Honda as a replacement for Kevin Prince Boateng, who is believed to be leaving in the summer. Honda's contract expires on January 1st, meaning that Milan may get him at a cut price, although long-time admirers Liverpool are believed to be preparing an offer as well.

50/50:
Zenit winger Hulk has continued to be linked with a move away from the St. Petersburg club. Despite having troubles with management and teammates, the Brazilian has stated that he is happy in St. Petersburg, although English Premier League teams Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are linked with a €40 million move.

Kuban forward Ivelin Popov has claimed that English Premier League club Aston Villa are "seriously interested" in him. Popov has scored 9 goals in 23 league appearances for Kuban since joining last August.

Gokhan Tore appears to be edging closer to a move away from Rubin. The Turkish winger has only spent one season in Russia, but Turkcell Super Lig team Besiktas has offered €1.75 million for the 21-year-old, although the Kazan-based side are holding out for his €5 million release clause.

Low Chance:
Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak has claimed that he would "consider top clubs in Russia", although his preference is to stay in England. The Russian international has been linked with Zenit and Kuban in recent months.

Anzhi's efforts to sign French defender Kurt Zouma appear to have failed as he nears a contract extension at St. Etienne. Zouma was thought to be one of two major talents to be leaving this summer, alongside Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, with clubs such as Manchester United and Barcelona interested, however it appears that he will stay for at least one further season.

No comments:

Post a Comment