“Rubin” gets to work: what transfers to expect from the club after Chumich's departure

The team faces squad optimization

Since January 30, “Rubin” has started training as part of the second winter camp in Turkish Belek. The Kazan team continues to prepare for the season's resumption under the leadership of new head coach Franck Artiga. The Spaniard took charge of the team in the middle of last month and spent some time getting acquainted with the players at his disposal.

But already from February, “Rubin” has moved to concrete actions. During the first camp, 33 footballers trained with the team. This number exceeds the usual norm. Therefore, in the near future, the club intends to work on squad optimization. Chumich's departure is just one such step.

According to sources of “Realnoe Vremya," during the first camp in Turkey, Artiga did not send requests to strengthen the squad. At the same time, the club hopes that the Spaniard will manage without transfers for the remainder of the season. In particular, the management expects greater trust from the coaches in young academy graduates. Primarily, this concerns midfielder Nikita Vasiliev and forward Daniil Motorin.

Therefore, it's probably not worth expecting a large number of new signings this winter. However, transfers are possible closer to the third camp, for several reasons.

Who might leave the club in winter

The transfer situation at “Rubin” is like a well-known meme: to buy something unnecessary, you need to sell something unnecessary. Of course, we're exaggerating, but the general idea is clear. Buying new players without offloading a squad of 33 footballers would be foolish.

Firstly, it's worth looking at those whose contracts end at the end of the season. They can already legally negotiate with any other club. And if the agreements aren't extended, it's better to part ways with such players in winter, trying to at least earn something from their departure. Here are those whose contracts at “Rubin” expire in the summer (according to Transfermarkt):

• Aleksandr Lomovitsky;
  
• Konstantin Nizhegorodov;
  
• Daler Kuzyaev;
  
• Anton Shvets;
  
• Aleksandr Zotov;
  
• Artur Nigmatullin;
  
• Oleg Ivanov;
  
• Daniil Motorin;
  
• Daniil Kuznetsov.

The last two are actively being played by Artiga in the main squad, so they are not among those expected to part ways with. Ivanov, Kuzyaev, and Nigmatullin may be useful in the spring part of the season. The same applies to Nizhegorodov, but the defender's fate depends on many factors, including what formation the team will play and whether a new player will be signed in defense.

It's more complicated with Shvets. The midfielder suffered a serious injury in the autumn part and has not yet joined work with the main group. Parting with him now would be reputationally incorrect. As for Lomovitsky, the club has been trying to say goodbye to him for several transfer windows and, apparently, would be happy to do so now. Zotov performed below his capabilities in the first part of the season, and the coaching staff will watch how he shows himself at the camps.

Several players should go on loan. It is expected that Enri Mukba will go to get playing practice at one of the FNL clubs. The club management does not yet consider him a player for the main squad. Uroš Drezgić has little chance of securing a place. It's not so much about the tough competition in the defensive line, but also about the injuries of the Serbian defender and questions about his full recovery.

The prospects of Aleksandar Jukić are also unclear. The Austrian's contract runs until summer 2028, but he has just returned to the main group, and there is no confidence he can win the fight for a starting spot.

What about Daku?

Regarding the team's leaders, according to sources of “Realnoe Vremya," “Rubin's” management intends to keep them at least until summer. This list includes Ilya Rozhkov, Ruslan Bezrukov, Igor Vujačić, Ugochukwu Iwu, and Dardan Shabanhaxhaj. The sale of the listed players is possible only in extremely non-standard situations.

The list also includes Mirlind Daku. But there are always various rumors around the Albanian forward. The player himself does not plan to leave “Rubin” in winter, as his representatives have already reported. However, Daku still isn't training with the main group.

According to our information, the Albanian will return to action at the second camp. But commentator Konstantin Genich dropped a major insider about Mirlind. Allegedly, the Kazan team's top scorer will miss all the winter camps. And the commentator announced this on the day of recording an interview with ex-“Rubin” coach Rashid Rakhimov, which hints at the likely source of Genich's “leak.”

Regarding Daku's return timeline, Artiga's words are somewhat confusing. The Spaniard, after the victory over “Struga” at the end of the first camp, could not hide his disappointment:

— Of course, it's a problem. He is our best forward, the best forward in the league. But at the same time, it's a good opportunity for other players. At the next camp, after an injury, Zhak Siwe will start working with us, I hope he will help us, — quotes the coach on the club's official website.

The last phrase sounds as if Daku is out for a long time. However, we won't have to wait long. “Rubin's” second camp ends on February 10.

Rumors about agent Selyuk's clients

The transfer window in most European championships closes tonight at midnight. Usually after this, Russian clubs become active, “picking up” the leftovers of those who didn't find a team in Europe. In Russia, the window will be open for another 18 days — until February 19.

Before that, “Rubin” has three friendly matches scheduled. At the second camp, the team will play against “Zhenis” (February 4) and “Navbahor” (February 8), and at the third — against “Pakhtakor” (February 15). These games should clarify who else will have to be parted with and which positions require strengthening.

Among possible candidates for strengthening “Rubin," various media name “Celje” midfielder Nikita Iosifov and “Baltika” defender Aleksandr Filin. Furthermore, there is a high probability of signing clients of agent Dmitry Selyuk. This functionary handles Franck Artiga's affairs, and with him, forward Mohamed Konaté (“Akhmat”), defensive midfielder Fawaz Abdullahi (“Dinamo Minsk”), and defender Aleksandr Martynov (“Serikspor”) could come to the team.

Our sources confirm that the Spanish coach of “Rubin” included the “Akhmat” forward among his desired transfers. However, such rumors look strange, considering the club wants to use Motorin more and keep Daku until summer. Moreover, Selyuk himself denies the information about Konaté. True, he said the same about Artiga in December when “Rubin” was actively working on appointing the Spaniard to the team.