Portuguese agent Paulo Barbosa revealed the news to Russian media
© Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images © Getty Images
Russian World Cup hero Artem Dzyuba will sign for Turkish giants Fenerbahce, according to claims made to Russian media.
Portuguese agent Paulo Barbosa told R-Sport of the development, and said that according to his information, Dzyuba will “definitely” move to the Super Lig club “in the near future.”
R-Sport had previously reported that Dzyuba, who announced in May that he would leave Zenit after seven years with the reigning Russian Premier League champions, was in negotiations with a club from the Turkish Super Lig.
This is Fenerbahce, according to Sousa, who are now managed by his compatriot in ex-Flamengo and Benfica boss Jorge Jesus.
Should the move happen, it would represent the first major signing of a Russian player to a large club outside the country since the military conflict in Ukraine broke out.
Dzyuba, 33, emerged as a national hero during his country’s surprise run to the World Cup quarterfinal on home soil in 2018 and was later installed as captain.
However, he has not featured for Russia since Valeri Karpin took over as head coach, turning down a recall earlier this year while citing “family circumstances” he insists are unrelated to the military operation despite having relatives in Ukraine.
Karpin succeeded Stanislav Cherchesov as Russia manager following a Euro 2020 campaign to forget.
A colorful character who announced his departure from Zenit in bizarre fashion while dressed as superhero Deadpool, Dzyuba was infamously embroiled in a 2020 sex tape scandal and is sure to make headlines in football-mad Turkey, if that is where he is headed.
