The transfer of Magomed Ozdoev to Zenit in the winter of 2018 was a complete surprise even for the head coach of St. Petersburg, Roberto Mancini. At that time, the Blue-White-Blues carried out a strange transfer campaign, also buying Anton Zabolotny and Elmir Nabiullina. Ozdoev was the only one who worked out his contract to the end.

In “Zenith” Magomed played 116 matches, scored eight goals and gave 18 assists. There were segments when he was a key player, but after the arrival of technical Brazilians and a serious injury, Ozdoev began to decline. Sergei Semak kept the midfielder on the bench for a long time and, as a result, did not renew the contract with the football player.

Where will the 29-year-old player continue his career?

Photo: © FC Zenit

The most obvious and simple options are RPL teams

The first thing that comes to mind is Dynamo. Sebastian Szymanski and Nikola Moro are likely to leave the Moscow club, so the center of midfield will sharply weaken. However, according to insiders, Dynamo plans to snatch Dmitry Barinov. If the deal with Lokomotiv does not go through, why not pay attention to Ozdoev? Together with Zakharyan and Fomin, they will form a good axis.

Not to mention CSKA. There is also a shortage in the center of midfield – Dzagoev, Gbamen, Akhmetov left. The experienced Ozdoev will certainly come in handy for the army team. There is a tendency that many from Zenit go to Sochi, but the new coach Vadim Garanin hardly needs Magomed.

A return to Lokomotiv would be beautiful, especially if Barinov leaves. However, the “railwaymen” are heading towards rejuvenation, and Ozdoev will soon turn 30 years old. Approximately the same – at “Wings” and “Krasnodar”. The clubs of the second eight are unlikely to pull Ozdoev’s salary if he himself does not make serious concessions.

Photo: © Gonzalo Arroyo – UEFA / Contributor / UEFA / Gettyimages.com

Options in Europe and Asia

Are Ozdoev expected abroad? The question is moot. Theoretically, Magomed can gain a foothold in Turkey, as Fyodor Kudryashov did. Moreover, Ozdoev is a Muslim, he will be even more comfortable on the northern shores of the Mediterranean than his compatriot. Whether there are offers from Turkey is unknown, but in general there are offers from Europe.

– There are proposals from Europe. There are from many places. Now I can’t give details. While everything is at the level of discussion. The leaders of the clubs themselves go to him. Everyone understands that he is a free agent. There are many nuances. He has a family, three children. How will the perception in Europe be? Or maybe it’s better to stay at home, in Moscow? Still, he lives there, – Sport24 quotes Ozdoev’s agent Anzor Gargaev.

There are also more exotic options. For example, RIA Novosti Sport, citing Gargaev, reports that Ozdoev has already received invitations from two clubs from Saudi Arabia, including the national champion Al-Hilal. By Asian standards, this team is more than solid: last season, the Saudis won the local Champions League for the fourth time, setting a record for the number of trophies won.

But it will be easier for Ozdoev to adapt in Iran, in the company of Kurban Berdiyev. The ex-mentor of Magomed at Rubin recently headed the local Traktor, so there is such an option. However, whether Ozdoev wants to disappear from the radar, playing in an inconspicuous league, is a big question.

At Zenit, Magomed received a good salary, but played little. Soon everything will be the other way around. The main thing for Ozdoev is to gain confidence and become a player in the starting lineup, and then, maybe, he will go for a promotion. His age still allows it.