Will they find themselves without a key player?
Enrique won’t change Zenit midfield plans
Zenit always denies everything. But Wendel wants to leave now. And winger Luis Enrique will be taken away from Botafogo for an insane €35 million. Record sale for a Brazilian club. But the transfer of the winger could be blocked by the loss of Wendel. His actions were tolerated for a long time. Even when the midfielder was punished for being late for training camp, heated bickering remained within the club. They have the right. But Zenit fans have the right not to believe that all the foreigners in the team want to fight for the coach and the club.
Self-deception is dangerous. Wendel has already shown himself to be brilliant on several occasions, being one of the strongest Legionnaires RPL. Afterwards, he was often congratulated. They called him the player most ready for the top 5 in the league during his best period at Zenit. But that was a long time ago. And now, although Marcus gave Glushenkov a series of assists, the midfielder is not the main one RPL. Even among Brazilians, defender Costa from Krasnodar and playmaker Bitello from Dynamo were cooler. And Zenit’s Douglas Santos is more stable.
Wendel was definitely not the best player in this first part of the season. At the same time, Semak has few options in the center of the field for the proper functioning of a single three. Especially if there is an overload in the attack. Of course, Akhmetov’s position in his youth will always be remembered. Ilzat hasn’t always been an attack group player. You can pair him with Barrios and move Glushenkov to the “ten” position. And they will bring the talented Luis Enrique on the right flank. Plus, he comes from the right club.
It is Botafogo who is interested in Wendel and wants to lose the expensive winger to Zenit. Don’t forget the story. Striker Yuri Alberto refused to play for St. Petersburg three years ago. I had to find a combination to swap players. Formally, the striker left as a free agent. Now, nuances appear again, since Wendel once again does not wish to return to Zenit. They convinced me not to be stupid, but they could promise to let me join another team this year.
Wendel dreams of being called up to the Brazilian national team
The Selecao currently does not have players of the level of Roberto Carlos and Marcelo on the left. Various average soccer players play. Last year, even Ayrton, the former Spartak defender who now plays for Flamengo, was called up. But Zenit’s Douglas Santos, even though he was one of the best left-backs in Brazil a few years ago, was not called up by either Dorival or his predecessors. Wendel has more competition in the center of the field; it is unlikely that he will be invited from Zenit to join the Seleçao team.
Marcus has a number of ironclad arguments for why he doesn’t want to play RPL. I’m tired of winning the league by just one champion, it’s boring. He believes he has outgrown Zenit. Has the right to an opinion. Among attacking midfielders who know how to put pressure, Marcus stands out alongside Spertsyan. Eduard spends his last months in Krasnodar. Western clubs are unlikely to let the young Armenian leave next summer, regardless of the result of the season for Krasnodar. And Wendel doesn’t want to wait six months.
Without a midfielder it will become more difficult. Unlike Claudinho, Marcus helped Barrios in midfield. The Colombian also thought about Turkey and other options. The experienced trio are struggling to break into the starting XI of their strong national teams. The Colombian talks about competition in the center of the field. The coach placed John Cordoba from Krasnodar in the starting lineup for the America’s Cup. But for Wendel, everything is more complicated. Dorival is not a fan RPL. He is of little interest to the Brazilians from Zenit.
Wendel hopes his success at Brazilian champions and Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo will get him noticed at Selecao headquarters. Since we are talking about a national team that needs fresh ideas, Marcus with crisp passing could come in handy. Moreover, even the most promoted central midfielders in Brazil now have enough problems in the game. Some sit on the bench, others cannot always participate in the selection. And Wendel is an intelligent and versatile player.
Ideally, after Zenit, I hoped to be part of a serious Champions League team. But since Semak categorically does not know how to prepare footballers for the top 5 – as if there is a fashion associated with his own failure in PSG As players, Wendel and Claudinho can expect either a lively Turkey or a return to Brazil. And the second option is possible only in the case of a transfer exchange, because the prices for midfielders are high. Zenit does not let them go.
Without Marcus, we will have to look for a midfielder for the starting team
When Kuzyaev was there, it was possible to support him. Daler covered the center of the field and helped Semak find balance. But classic examples like Real Madrid without Kroos and Manchester City without Rodri show the importance of central midfielders. In addition, Wendel’s approach is halfway between the productive Spaniard and the German midfielder, forced to play deeper without Casemiro. Marcus directs Zenit’s play. With him, Barrios advanced and had fun.
Semak gave Vilmar freedom and linked Claudinho and Wendel to create a tight midfield. And now the coach is afraid of the snowball effect. Could Marcus’ departure lead to the flight of some Zenit legionnaires? This cannot be ruled out because there are ambitions and discontent. It is unlikely that the Serbian Erakovic from the defense or the versatile Brazilian Arthur will be happy to have become substitutes. Mantuan, having run on the left flank of the defense, does not hesitate to leave either. Zenit is actively looking for a right-back.
It’s also time to find a midfielder to replace Wendel. It is better to act immediately, because it is easier to play a new fullback in the spring and it is difficult to introduce a splitter. Glushenkov can’t work that deep because Maxim loves to attack. Lokomotiv has Barinov and Karpukas in the center, while Zenit, without Wendel, does not have a duo in the support zone. Marcus is a metronome. These players are expensive on the market and most often refuse to join Zenit. Maybe they’ll go after Torino’s Ilic again.
The Serb does not want to RPLalthough Stankovic calls him to Spartak. There is also an option with Glebov from Rostov if they play on a line with Barrios. You have to get used to the idea of Wendel leaving. Either now or next summer. Separation is inevitable, a replacement must take place. After all, Wendel is important, even when he’s lazy and not always in perfect physical shape. But Marcus tried to leave so many times that negotiations with him were toxic for a long time. Broken relationships were repaired, but that repair didn’t last forever.
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