The main transfer bomb of the summer is the transfer of Dynamo midfielder Arsen Zakharyan to London Chelsea. According to rumors, the contract and the player’s salary have already been agreed, and the contract is about to be concluded. Fans rub their hands in anticipation of the deal: the majority is sure that the Russian needs to urgently pack his bags and go to England even on foot. Such an opportunity is simply not to be missed!

In the Premier League, Arsene will indeed have dizzying prospects, but do not forget about the risks. Especially when it comes to moving to a team like Chelsea where the player may never make it to the first team.

Zakharyan needs to stop. And think well.

“Even Werner and Lukaku have a hard time playing at Chelsea”

Just a year ago, Chelsea would have been the best option for our players. The club was run by the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, and the Moscow State University graduate Marina Granovskaya was in charge of the affairs … In any problem situation, they helped directly, and for Russian-speaking guys, access to the offices would be, as they say, out of competition. Zakharyan would adapt without any problems.

Chelsea is now owned by American investor Todd Boeli. He outlined the acquisition of young talents as one of the tasks. It is quite possible that Zakharyan just got on the pencil thanks to this. However, we remember very well how the career of footballers in London sometimes develops. Even monsters like Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah failed to gain a foothold at Chelsea.

All the risks of Zakharyan’s transfer to Chelsea were perfectly described by the eminent coach Anatoly Byshovets:

“Even Werner and Lukaku have a hard time playing at Chelsea and keeping up with the competition, and these are top-level players. Therefore, there is a danger for Arsene to go on loan immediately, then another one, and so on. The transition is very risky. All our players who played abroad received support from each other: Shalimov and Kolyvanov in Italy, Karpin and Mostovoy in Spain, it was easier for them. Now Miranchuk is alone in Italy, and it is hard for him, the same thing can happen with Zakharyan.

Moving to England will be a test of his personal qualities – diligence, perseverance. In Dynamo, Zakharyan constantly plays and trains a lot, in Russia he develops. In England, where there is no training process due to frequent games and huge competition, he can stop growing, – Metaratings quotes Byshovets.

Timo Werner / Photo: © REUTERS / Alastair Grant

Tuchel doesn’t need Zakharyan?

From Dynamo straight to Chelsea – it’s like climbing a high staircase through two steps. The step is too wide, and after a few spans you can get very tired. You can climb through one, or better – step on each. So you can evenly distribute the forces over the entire lift.

It’s the same in football. It is very risky to move from the RPL directly to England. Most likely, Zakharyan will wander on loan, changing teams and championships every year – such a fate befell many young talents who moved to Chelsea. According to journalist Sergei Podgornov, the Londoners generally want to send Arsen to the club academy – then he may not even approach the main team.

Moreover, there are many applicants for his position in the first team, and all of them are clearly superior to the Russian in experience and skill: Mount, Havertz, Sterling, Pulisic … And this is not even the whole list! Many people write that Thomas Tuchel allegedly clears the squad for Zakharyan, but in reality the German did not even expect this transfer: according to the English press, the purchase is promoted by the club’s management, not the coach.

Photo: © FC Dynamo

“Not all that glitters is gold”

Maybe it’s better to choose a more modest club and confidently play there, as Alexander Golovin did? The midfielder plays steadily in Ligue 1, benefits Monaco, and his main market indicator at least does not fall. Golovin is still the most expensive player in Russia: he is estimated by Transfermarkt at 25 million euros.

– The sign of the Premier League and Chelsea fits the definition of “not all that glitters is gold.” Will this level pull in terms of talent? He is capable. When he was 17 years old, I invited him to the national team. A player’s career must be planned, and not jumping over steps, Cherchesov said in an interview with Chempionat.

Arsene needs to have the courage and steadfast discipline to endure the tests that follow after the transfer. Moreover, recently Zakharyan has been acting very emotionally and even nervously. It is enough to see how he reacts to the decisions of the referees or the unsuccessful actions of the partners – the midfielder screams and waves his arms.

For such a powerful transfer, you need to mature – not only physically, but also mentally. And everyone has their own age. Arsen and his entourage should think carefully before sending the guy to London. Isn’t it too early?