“Malcolm would be worth keeping if there was a Champions League” – Sozin

Russian football expert Andrey Sozin believes that striker Malcolm’s departure from Zenit will be a loss for Petersburgers, but football is business.

Earlier, the media reported that the Saudi Al-Hilal had agreed on the transfer of Malcolm. The Brazilian, who also has Russian citizenship, was offered a contract until 2026 with a salary of 18 million euros a year.

– Definitely “Zenith” will be harder without him. The man scored 23 goals and gave under 10 assists. Of course, this is the leader of the team, this will certainly weaken Zenit. I don’t know if this will make it easier for CSKA or Spartak, but the fact that Semak’s team will become harder is for sure.

We need to find a person who will score 23. Any person who can replace him, for example, will score 13 or 15, but this is not 23. And these are extra points. Therefore, it is necessary to sell Malcolm, because football is a business. If there was a Champions League, then it would be possible to keep it, but now with good demand, I think it makes no sense, – Sozin told Vprognoze.ru.

The 26-year-old striker’s contract with Zenit runs until the summer of 2027.

Last season, Malcolm became the top scorer of the WORLD RPL, scoring 23 goals in 27 games.

• “Semak must cope in the event of the departure of Malcolm and Wendel” – ex-coach of Zenit Byshovets