Duarte is in the team, Tavares is on the way.
Spartak continue to consistently meet their goals for the winter transfer window. What is most interesting, Muscovites have finally turned to the problematic positions – first of all, the defense is getting stronger. Yes, apparently, the Getafe defensive midfielder Maksimovich will not become a red and white player, but there is already a newcomer and an agreement to sign a second legionnaire.
What was missing was a strong combination of central and wing backs
One of the main reasons why Spartak is now not in Zenit’s place is the difference in the organization and quality of management work. In recent years, the Petersburgers have created a monolithic team with the strongest attack group and reliable defense. The development vector does not change from year to year, and therefore, by this time, the “blue-white-blue” will only have to make timely reinforcements and find a replacement for the deceased leaders.
In the Moscow club, on the contrary, there are constant renovations. The last one started in 2022. But this time the club is not trying to change the strategy again and found a strong coach. An attacking line has already been formed that meets his needs: Promes has retrained from a winger to a forward with wide functionality, Sobolev is paired with him. The competition is imposed by Nicholson, and Keita Balde, who arrived, is able to both close the position of the “ten” (a competitor to Moses) and emerge as a winner.
Meanwhile, the team’s chronic problems were related to other positions. First of all, we are talking about the flanks of the defense. Once Tedesco, having Ayrton at his disposal on the left, he welcomed Victor Moses on the right edge. But the German from the fullback asked first of all for the ball to advance and relied on his attacking qualities. Abaskal, on the other hand, needs tough players for these positions, who will go to the selection – more reliable. The Brazilian footballer left, and the Nigerian started playing as a “ten”.
Rybus, who came on for six months, has not lived up to management expectations, Klassen remains a player in the rotation. As a result, the Spanish mentor releases Denisov to the right at the start and puts Khlusevich on the left curb. This is despite Daniil being a specialist right midfielder. So in the winter, the coach needed two players on the wings, or an all-rounder, who could go back and forth.
The second problem is the center of defense. He did not sharply resist while there was a group of Zhigo-Jikia in Spartak, but with the departure of the French to Marseille, there was a need for an equally high-quality legionnaire. Trying to trust Mevle turned out to be a mistake: now he is likely to leave the team. Yes, Ruslan Litvinov becomes the leader, but he is just as good in the support zone, which the club also has problems with. Here the question is already in which position it is easier to find a football player. The answer is already there.
Paraguay’s new central defender
It is extremely difficult to find a defensive midfielder, especially one who knows how to push the ball forward, especially in modern conditions. It turned out to be much easier for the red and white to sign a central defender. The club followed the general trends in RPL – and turned to the Latin American market.
Paraguayan footballer Alexis Duarte has become an amplification: the players of there are famous for their physique, activity and aggressiveness. The latest example is Roberto Fernandez, who has signed a contract with Dinamo. The Spartak recruit has similar qualities – this is what football official Timur Lepsaya said about him:
Alexis is one of the best central defenders in Paraguayan football, obviously in all of Latin American football, if we are talking about young players. The captain of a great club-“Cerro Porteño” is in the top 3 Paraguayan clubs, he is considered great. As a selection job, this is a pretty good step.
If we talk about strengths and weaknesses, Duarte has the nickname “octopus”. This suggests that he is very uncompromising, plays well in the background, for a young Latin American he is tactically expert. Of the minuses, I would like to single out an imperfect way out of defense: he does not have a watermarked pass.
Duarte still has to adapt to Spartak, but with his arrival, Abascal simultaneously received a potentially strong central axis and the opportunity to move Litvinov to the support zone.
On the street – extreme defender
As for Tomas Tavares, more and more specific rumors appear: Guillermo Abascal is inviting him to Spartak. It was reported that the Moscow team is a priority option for a graduate of the Benfica system. Questions about Tavares’ candidacy arise due to his recent cruciate ligament injury. Having recovered from the gap, the fullback has completely missed the first part of the current season. But in the current realities, Benfica’s talent, even the injured one, is an excellent transfer.
According to the latest data, Spartak managers have already reached a verbal agreement with the Portuguese club. The official announcement could come soon, however, this has been delayed due to questions about Tomasz’s health and problems with the transfer of compensation.
But all this is a matter of time. The Portuguese is a versatile defender, which Abascal needs. He can go both left and right, which allows him to use Khlusevich on his native flank.
It remains to wait for the first matches – already by them it will be possible to judge the form of the recruits.
