The long-running transfer saga involving one of the Russian league`s top players finally concluded on Tuesday evening, with the «People`s Team» securing his services. This versatile Russian national team defender is capable of playing both on the wing and in central midfield.
Lokomotiv and Spartak were long at odds over the transfer fee, with negotiations stretching for three weeks. Beyond the financial aspects, there were other intricacies to this deal. Lokomotiv initially demanded €5 million for the versatile player, while Spartak offered €3.7 million (equivalent to 350 million rubles). Ultimately, a compromise sum of 450 million rubles was agreed upon. These talks unfolded against a backdrop of Spartak`s ongoing struggles, as the team had secured only one league victory so far (a 1-0 home win against Makhachkala in the first round) and occupied 13th place, positioned in the relegation playoff zone, just above the direct relegation spots.
Coach Stankovic`s frequent emotional outbursts and constant squad rotations turned a significant portion of the fans against him. The transfer campaign was equally fraught with disappointment: nearly every piece of news about a potential acquisition led nowhere, often due to the players themselves declining. For instance, Moroccan star Al-Wahdi will not be joining the team. Argentine forward Beltran from Fiorentina, Algerian defender Adjam from Young Boys, and even former Zenit striker and Botafogo winger Arthur — all explicitly rejected Spartak, not Russia as a whole. Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov, for example, chose Dynamo. This summer has truly been a thriller for Russia`s most popular football club.
Given the circumstances, the commotion surrounding Samoshnikov`s transfer came as no surprise. But then, as if by magic, the situation shifted. Stankovic suddenly appeared calm and good-natured. Samoshnikov was officially released by Lokomotiv and registered with Spartak. Perhaps the Moscow club will now find success in their upcoming league match on August 23rd in Kazan?
Ilya Samoshnikov will wear the number 14 jersey for Spartak. His contract with the new club is for three seasons, with an option to extend for an additional year in 2028. The player`s annual salary is set at 1.4 million euros.
