After Queiroz and Mantua, they found Pedro.
They attracted Du and Pedro, but not Rocha
Du Queiroz in St. Petersburg. His transfer was agreed in January, because an agile intermediary ensures the life of future great-grandchildren, making transfers between Corinthians and Zenit. The contract officially starts on July 1st. The 23-year-old midfielder will receive €900,000 per season, the salary of a Zenit reservist. Semak met a newcomer, he chose the 37th number.
Du Queiroz turned out to be a St. Petersburg player when Yuri Alberto flatly refused to return RPL. Petersburgers also managed to attract the talented Renan. Robert’s debut is not the best, but we must not forget that he is young and plays in an adventurous way. But Queiroz arrives in the reserve like Mantova. Semak raises Brazilians in the reserve team, because goalkeeper Ivan was there too.
At Corinthians, Du made 17 appearances in various competitions. Queiroz is not a goal player like Wendel. The young midfielder has just 3 goals and 4 assists in 99 games for the former club. But according to Medvedev’s answer, it is clear that the champions are losing Kuzyaev. Daler is leaving, Du has arrived and they are still waiting for young Kovalenko from Sochi. But Alexander will not be the youngest in demand next season, because in the winter Semak will have the opportunity to declare Pedro Enrique.
He’s only 17, he won’t come now when they agree. Pedro plays in the Corinthians attack. At adult level he has played few games, but has attracted the interest of many clubs. If the connections help Zenit to take him, then in St. Petersburg a technical winger will play, who calmly drags the ball. An independent player who will close any position in attack. For the right foot it is more comfortable to play on the left, but if he has to replace Malcolm at Zenit base in the winter, he will change flank.
Wendel and Malcolm are closer to the top 5
During a stormy day in Russia, Wendel’s agent said the midfielder would stay in Brazil until “the situation improves”. Zenit was sympathetic to Wendel’s and his family’s decision. Shortly thereafter, the agent announced health problems with one of his relatives. How the version has changed dramatically, but the footballer will return to Zenit late. He comes back.
Wendel has no right to suspend the contract himself, extending the agreement for five years last summer. But the midfielder is not only interested in Roma, he will have a choice. There are even more candidates for Malcolm. Especially after the Brazilian joined the Brazilian national team. Yesterday’s events might have frightened his wife, who had recently given birth to a baby.
The clubs convince the legionnaires that the classical concert was a one-off. But explosive objects flew around Moscow, even then the leadership of all teams in the capital had to conduct calm conversations. “Zenith” must take into account the fact that the wives of Hispanics can command to lose a million euros a year in favor of moving to the West.
Rotation will affect the game “Zenith”
There is no preservation of success in football. Real Madrid have also lost titles to Barcelona and Atlético, although they are the most successful fighters in the Champions League in the twenty-first century. And whenever compositions change, there is a risk of a major collapse. Zenith will be no exception. The departure of Dziuba and Azmun affected the quality of work in the center of the attack.
Malcolm, Mostovoy and Wendel cannot compensate for all the mistakes of Cassierra and Sergeyev, so Semak is without the Cup. The departure of Lovren and Rakitskiy led to a deterioration in defensive results. It concerns both the number of goals conceded with Renan and the work when he goes in attack. Barrios’ absence also affects him instantly, so he needs a strong replacement.
Zenit have tough Brazilians, but Pedro won’t necessarily repeat Malcolm’s achievements. Mantova can be considerably weaker than Claudinho as a basic player. Do Queiroz will not be able to completely replace Wendel, because he is not only a midfielder with a clean pass, but also one of the leaders of the team with goals and the right reaction to someone else’s exit from the defense.
Same conclusion for Santos, difficult to find a player of this caliber in 2023. The farewell of the captain will lead to unforeseen consequences for the defence. Pedro Enrique is certainly a talented youngster, but Pedro Rocha and Carlos Eduardo were also talented strikers at Spartak and Rubin, which hasn’t stopped these Brazilians from disappointing RPL.
Young Brazilians are weaker than veterans
Not all legionnaires will like Danny, Criscito and Hulk. But Semak doesn’t want to work with the Russians, he considers it risky to bet on them. Chistyakov, Sergeev and Bakaev did not play the way the coach wanted. At the same time, the limit prevents these players from being released. Even if parting is inevitable as well as unsuccessful signings with fluctuations in the team’s play in the future.
And if they lose a couple of key Brazilians in the summer, then in RPL there will be intrigue, because it takes time to rearrange the base. Semak won last season too easily, because all competitors performed badly. The Zenith class worked, but Mantova, Queiroz, Renan and Pedro don’t seem to be as compelling arguments as the people they are supposed to replace.
Zenit signs young foreigners with an eye that the current team leaders will leave. On the field, as before, you can release no more than eight legionnaires. If Mantova has not always found a place, and is also looking for a goalkeeper who may turn out to be a foreigner, because Safonov refuses, then the number of new legionnaires speaks in favor of parting.
In St. Petersburg, it is customary to deny any changes. But Kuzyaev, Wendel and Malcolm can be seen in the jerseys of other clubs until the end of the summer. And these are the three protagonists of last season. Under these conditions, Semak probably won’t even ask for a competitor for Cassierra, so as not to make many changes in the starting lineup.
