Realizing a large summer transfer window with more than 280 million euros spent on Wesley Fofana (Leicester), Marc Cucurella (Brighton), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Carney Chukwuemeka (Aston Villa), Pierre -Emerick Aubameyang (FC Barcelona), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago) and Denis Zakaria (Juventus, paid loan), Chelsea could have made another purchase at the very end of the transfer window. Interested for a long time par the young Russian midfielder Arsen Zakharyan (19), the London club is making great efforts to recruit the player from Dynamo Moscow. The one who has a mixed start to the season (3 goals and 5 offerings in 17 matches), but remains on a solid year (9 goals and 9 offerings in 34 matches) is under contract until June 2024 and has a release clause estimated at 15 million euros.
A sum far from being a foil for the club owned by Todd Boehly whose financial power is well established. Trying to attract the player by offering an amount equivalent to his release clause to the Russian club, Chelsea thought they could bring him in quickly. Especially that Dynamo Moscow who welcomed the approach of the Blues, but finally the days passed and the transfer window ended without Arsen Zakharyan joining England. The reason is simple, the English sanctions against Russia following the war in Ukraine do not allow funds to be transferred to the country of the Tsars.
A change of nationality?
Dynamo Moscow did not fail to explain the situation on September 1 in a press release: “Arsen Zakharyan stays at Dynamo. On August 25, Dynamo received a transfer offer from Chelsea. However, for a number of technical reasons beyond our control, it is impossible to transfer the player. It has been decided that Arsène will continue to play for Dynamo. Apart from restrictions in England, FIFA and UEFA have put restrictions on signing Russian players. Since then, Chelsea have not abandoned this file and are trying to find a solution to circumvent the restrictions in order to welcome the native of Samara.
Arsen Zakharyan remains at Dynamo
On August 25, Dynamo received an offer from Chelsea regarding the transition. However, due to a number of technical reasons beyond our control, it is impossible to transfer the player to this TO.
It was decided that Arsene would continue to play for Dynamo. pic.twitter.com/6NX1kYNsbY
— FC Dynamo Moscow (@fcdynamo) September 1, 2022
The Blues are multiplying the options as revealed l’Evening Standard which explains that Arsen Zakharyan would try to obtain an Armenian passport, country of which it has origins, in order to facilitate the operation. However, the Armenian Federation has denied any contact with the player who has 4 caps with Russia. Wishing to welcome him next January, Chelsea can nevertheless count on the interest of the player who wishes to join the London formation. The latter as well as the Blues are pushing to finally conclude this operation where the different parties agree, but whose international sanctions are still blocking a total finalization of the file.
