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KERZHAKOV HAPPY TO RETURN TO ZENIT
Alexandr Kerzhakov got his wish to return to
Zenit Saint Petersburg as the club confirmed the transfer of the striker
from Dynamo Moscow and subsequent signing of a four-year contract.
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Alexandr Kerzhakov Photo SPORT EXPRESS
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After receiving authorization by Dynamo to train on his
own until 15 January, he cautiously noted to Sport Express on January
that a deal was in works when he said:
"I am in St. Petersburg at the moment. The negotiations about my
transfer are on their way. Of course I know what is going on but I will
not give the details."
"I think everything will be decided very soon. And at the same time
I am not expecting the verdict with a sinking heart. The process of talks
is normal and I am ready to accept any result."
Acording to observations of Sport Express special correspondent John Davies,
the move marks a return to the club where the career started in 2001 for
the twenty-seven year-old Russian international. A product of the famed
Smena football school, he quickly established himself as prolific goal
scorer for Saint Petersburg.
After a brief move to Spanish-side Sevilla in December 2006, he returned
to Russia in February 2008 for Dynamo Moscow, helping the White-Blues
to a third-place finish in the domestic competition.
In joining Luciano Spalletti's Zenit, he reunites with Vladimir Bystrov,
who he last played with in the first half of the 2005 campaign and creating
one of Russia's most menacing attacking threats.
The deal equally puts an end to the ongoing rumours of Roman Pavlyuchenko,
desperate to leave Tottenham, arrival in Saint Petersburg. Though he is
the subject of countless rumours, many highly dubious, with a plethora
of clubs noted within the media as targeting him, the major sticking point
is whether Tottenham will come down from its asking price, said to be
no less than 11 million.
"I hoped that my move would be finished as early as in December,"
said Kerzhakov after signing the contract. "Both clubs knew my position
on the transfer. And I do not know the details of the process of negotiations
knew only major changes."
"But actually I did not worry for the time was not running out yet.
I managed to abstract myself from this matter during the holidays otherwise
I will not be able to rest at all."
"I was quite beyond the talks - my stance was clear and did not change.
I was ready to swap Dynamo for my native Zenit only or a foreign top club.
All other alternatives in Russia were excluded."
"We had many talks about prolonging the contract with Dynamo and
I thought we understood each other. But I was surprised to read in the
interview of the sports director of Dynamo Konstantin Sarsaniya that I
did not want to play for the White-Blues."
"I never said something of the kind - either in an interview, or
official or private conversation."
"Of course there were several options to play in foreign clubs. But
when the variant with Zenit seemed real all others ceased to interest
me."
Sport
Express Daily, 18 Jan 2010
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