Leverkusen secure Sardar Azmoun from Zenit
The transfer saga for the 'Iranian Messi' ends with an immediate transfer to the red company team.
Bayer Leverkusen had an agreement in place for the services of Sardar Azmoun (27), who was out of contract in the summer. However, after a falling out with Zenit St. Petersburg, Azmoun now joins Seoane's squad in the winter transfer window itself. The Russian giants bid farewell to the Iranian on their Twitter handle today. Per BILD, Bayer have transferred just 2 million Euros to the Russian side to acquire Azmoun's services.
"We are pleased with the constructive agreement with Zenit and that we can now rely on Sardar's qualities at an early stage. He will enrich our offensive game and significantly enhance our very good squad once again," said Simon Rolfes, Sporting Director of the club.
What remains to be seen is how Bayer plan the remainder of the season with three top strikers in Alario, Azmoun and Schick on their books. Nadiem Amiri, who recently left for Genoa, hasn't been properly replaced yet. According to Kicker, Bayer aren't actively looking to replace the midfielder, instead creating a surplus of strikers. Could this mean a change in system for Seoane? The Swiss coach is known for fielding a 4-4-2 quite often from his time with Young Boys Bern. However, the three time Swiss League winning coach has found comfort in a 4-2-3-1 at Leverkusen with Wirtz supporting Schick upfront. Changing that could be a risk but the squad composition surely fits the retro setup. Exciting times ahead for Die Werkself, who face Borussia Dortmund in the topspiel next Sunday.