Chelsea are inching closer to completing a move for Dynamo Moscow wonderkid Arsen Zakharyan, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. The club is set to activate the buyout clause of the teenager reported to be close to €15 million.
Chelsea Submit Bid for Long-Term Transfer Target
Chelsea have submitted €15m bid for Dinamo Moscow talent Arsen Zakharyan, player’s agent Pavel Andreev tells RB Sport: “It’s true. The agreement is close”. 🔵 #CFC
Chelsea already invested almost £40 in Chukwuemeka [2003], Casadei [2003], Hutchinson [2003] and Slonina [2004]. pic.twitter.com/VEqFhruf5A
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 26, 2022
Who is Arsen Zakharyan?
The teenage magician of Armenian parentage but Russian birth is more than just the next Russian talent to emerge. He has the potential to become the face of the next-generation Russian national team.
Making his first team debut for Dynamo in November 2020, the teenager enjoyed a meteoric rise over the course of the season. He cemented his place in the first team with rather remarkable performances that earned him three Player of the Month awards in his first full season. The Dynamo fans voted the teenager as the Player of the Season at the end of his sensational debut campaign.
The youngster’s magical performances lit up the imagination of an entire nation awaiting their next superstar. His performances didn’t go quite unnoticed as coach Stanislav Cherchesov named him in the Russian preliminary squad for the Euros. A bout of tonsillitis meant he had to be withdrawn, though.
Chelsea have submitted €15m bid for Dinamo Moscow talent Arsen Zakharyan, player's agent Pavel Andreev tells RB Sport: "It's true. The agreement is close". 🔵 #CFC
Chelsea already invested almost £40 in Chukwuemeka [2003], Casadei [2003], Hutchinson [2003] and Slonina [2004]. pic.twitter.com/VEqFhruf5A
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 26, 2022
Although a very disappointing situation for the youngster, it was only a minor setback. At the start of September 2021, he made his national team debut in a World Cup qualifier game against Croatia. He became the youngest outfield player to feature for the Russian national team. This was definitely the start of something special for the 18-year-old. The young midfielder was eventually voted as the Player of the Season for two consecutive seasons at Dynamo Moscow.
Zakharyan is versatile and can be deployed in multiple positions – wide midfielder on either flank, attacking midfield or central midfield. One of his major strengths is his ability to glide through defences and find creative passing solutions in dangerous areas. He is also an adept dribbler with great vision and appreciation of space which earned him the comparison to Luka Modric and Andres Iniesta.
Chelsea’s New Recruitment Strategy
The start of Todd Boehly’s era at Chelsea sparked a change in the club’s transfer strategy. The Blues have already invested £40 million in teenagers this summer. This signals that the American has a long-term vision in place for the team. The Roman Abramovich era was quite the opposite, with an emphasis on instant success and the acquisition of established starlets.
Arsen Zakharyan is one of the most talented teenagers in world football and is already a key player for Dynamo. The teenager will definitely make a real difference for Chelsea in the future and add the much-needed creativity to their redundant midfield.
