Arsenal and Man City keeping tabs on unsettled Russian captain
Published:Igor Denisov could be set for a move to the Premier League with his days at current club, Zenit St Petersburg, seemingly numbered following a wage-related spat.
A host of elite Premier League clubs have been linked with his signature, including both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal. It is the latter where his services would best utilised and you can back them to beat Chelsea at 6/4 in their next match.
The newly-appointed Russian captain has been demoted to the Zenit youth team after voicing his displeasure regarding the astronomical salaries Hulk and Axel Witsel are reportedly collecting.
Denisov refused to play for the club with which he has spent his entire career unless they renegotiated his contract and, with the Russian champions outraged by this ultimatum, the January transfer window is likely to see him find a new club.
His combative style of play in the middle of the park would bring another element to the Arsenal midfield, as they currently lack a steely, holding player since selling Alex Song to Barcelona.
Abou Diaby is currently plying himself in that position and, although his performances have been commendable, his injury prone nature means he isn’t going to be able to do it all season. Arsenal, then, will require an alternative.
Denisov has made 329 appearances in Zenit colours, scoring 23 goals, gaining title-winning experience and playing in European competition in that time. He’s also represented his country 32 times on his way to claiming the captain’s armband under Fabio Capello.
His game is as much about passing as it is about making tackles and this should see him fit in well with Arsene Wenger’s style of play. He laid on a total of eight assists from a deep-lying berth last season, which suggests he could be the ideal candidate to fill Song’s boots.
All odds and markets accurate as publication’s time and date
