Yuri Zhirkov may quit Chelsea
Chelsea defender Yuri Zhirkov has revealed that he is finding life difficult at Stamford Bridge and if matters don’t improve over the next few months, he may ask to be transferred when the transfer window again opens for business in January.
The 27-year-old Russian international, who can play anywhere on the left side of the pitch, has struggled to break into the first team with left-back Ashley Cole and left winger Florent Malouda well-established as key men in Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Though he is eager to make the most of any chance that may come his way, Zhirkov — who joined the English Premier League champions last summer from CSKA Moscow for a fee reported to be around £18m — admits that he may be forced to leave the club if he is not able to play first-team football more regularly.
'Everything depends on first-team chance'
According to the Daily Mail, he said that: "I’ll certainly get a chance in the next few months and I’ll try to use it completely. Then, in the winter, everything will probably depend on whether I got this chance and how I used it. We are currently in brilliant form and getting past Malouda and Cole is problematic. Everyone understands about the competition: once you are on the bench you can be there for a long time. But I will definitely get a chance. The thoughts when you are watching your team play are always the same: you support, worry and your soul wants to be on the pitch to help."
Zenit St Petersburg and Spartak Moscow are both reported to have an interest in the player and he would likely welcome a move back to his homeland if it meant he was able to play regular football.
Zhirkov won several trophies during his time with CSKA, including the UEFA Cup and two Russian Premier League titles. He has also played 35 times for the Russia national team.
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