The Russian clubs have succeeded to sign UEFA Champions League winners, English Premier League stars, La Liga misfits and Euro 2012 players during the summer transfer window
The Russian top division clubs continued with the growing trend of inviting foreign players to the Russian Premier League after signing talented, experienced, famous yet expensive players. The likes of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Hulk-c16436, Axel Witsel, Ailton
Almeida, Lassana Diarra, Salomon Rondon, Vedran Corluka and David Bentley moved to Russia this summer.
Hulk
Age: 26-year-old
To: Zenit St. Petersburg
From: http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Porto-c39186
Position: Striker
The Brazilian striker joined the defending Russian Premier League champions, Zenit St. Petersburg, from FC Porto after signing a four-year contract with the Russian outfit earlier this month.
Hulk earned his name after winning the UEFA Europa League, Primeira Liga and Portuguese Cup with the Dragoes back in 2009-10 campaign after contributing 36 goals in 53 appearances for his former club.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Axel-Witsel-c7029
Age: 23-year-old
To: Zenit St. Petersburg
From: http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/SL-Benfica-c40542
Position: Winger
Witsel has been Zenit’s second land mark signings of the summer transfer window this season. The St. Petersburg club paid reportedly 40 million Euros for the Belgian winger, who contributed widely in Benfica runners-up finish last
season.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Aílton-Almeida-c4096
Age: 28-year-old
To: Terek Grozny
From: Apoel
Position: Striker
Almeida, who joined the Russian outfit after signing a three-year contract, proved out to be a successful signing as the former Copenhagen star scored a wonderful goal in his debut match against the defending champions last week.
The Brazilian forward was a constant member of the Cypriot First Division club that reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last term.
Lassana Diarra
Age: 27-year-old
To: Anzhi Makhachkala
From: Real Madrid
Position: Midfielder
The French midfielder became the first player to complete a move to Russia from the Madrid-based club. The former Portsmouth club signed a two-year contract and will earn reportedly 3.5 million Euros annually.
Diarra, who earned himself a name during his successive spells at Arsenal and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 respectively, is known for dominating the centre of the park.
Salomon Rondon
Age: 23-year-old
To: Rubin Kazan
From: Malaga CF
Position: Striker
The Kazan-based club win the race to sign the Venezuelan attacker, who scored 11 goals and made seven assists for the Spanish outfit last season, despite stiff interest from a host of top European clubs this summer.
The Volzhane reportedly paid 10 million Euros to the La Liga outfit.
The former Las Palmas player, who left Estadio La Rosaleda along with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Santi-Cazorla-c32505 this summer, opened his goal scoring account against the Chechens earlier this month.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Vedran-Corluka-c35947
Age: 26-year-old
To: Lokomotiv Moscow
From: Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Defender
The Croatian midfielder reunited with former team-mate, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Roman-Pavlyuchenko-c31639, after returning to Russia following a disappointing spell at the White Hart Lane. Corluka failed to get first team action after sustaining recurring injuries
in England.
The former Manchester City has a Croatian Cup and the Croatian Super Cup to his name during his time at Dynamo Zagreb.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/David-Bentley-c10435
Age: 28-year-old
To: http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Rostov-c39192
From: Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Winger
Most surprisingly, Russian top division underdogs managed to sign the England star, dubbed as the new http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/David-Beckham-c10432, on a six-month long loan spell until January from the Spurs.
Bentley followed in the footsteps of Corluka, Van der Vaart, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Luka-Modric-c22857 to leave the White Hart Lane this summer.
The former Blackburn http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Rovers-c40385 star, who earned a national team call-up at the age of 17, has been earmarked as one of the best signings the Selmashi has ever made in their entire history.
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