:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69724681/1233001552.0.jpg)
The Chelsea scouting department would not be very good at their job if they weren’t keeping tabs on all the talented and promising players around Europe and the world, which makes it not at all surprising that, according to Russian outlet Sport Express, we’re “monitoring” Arsen Zakharyan, the 18-year-old midfield “teenage magician” at Dynamo Moscow.
The report adds that RB Leipzig are doing the same as well, and might actually be turning said interest into action sometime soon. Abramovich’s name has also come up, as it almost always does when we get linked with players in Russia.
At the start of 2021, Arsen Zakharyan was a reserve-team player earning £300-a-month.
— Tom Maston (@TomMaston) June 8, 2021
Six months on, the 18-year-old was voted Dynamo Moscow fans' POTY & was a bout of tonsilitis away from potentially going to #Euro2020@Yokhin tells his story for #NXGN: https://t.co/QEAFis8Qxw
Zakharyan made his debut for Dynamo Moscow last season, and has collected an impressive 4 goals and 6 assists in just 16 Russian Premier League appearances. He’s been deployed mostly as a central midfielder, but has also featured on the right flank.
The youngster was called up to the provisional Russia squad for Euro 2020, but had to drop out due to tonsillitis. He’s said to have a €12m buyout clause in his contract, which is only applicable to foreign clubs, and which will rise to €15m next summer. Said contract with Dynamo Moscow runs through 2024.
One to keep an eye on in the future then?