A former CSKA and USSR national team footballer, Vladimir Ponomarev, weighed in on the contract extension situation involving CSKA forward Fedor Chalov, sharing his thoughts with Euro-Football.Ru. The veteran commented on Chalov’s recent salary demands and the broader implications for the club and the player’s career trajectory.
Ponomarev criticized Chalov’s approach to remuneration, suggesting that the player had made a miscalculation about his market value. He claimed Chalov was pushing for a salary of 2.5 million euros per season, a level that the veteran felt did not align with Chalov’s current performance or the club’s financial framework. The ex-player drew a comparison to actors who sometimes overestimate their worth, arguing that Chalov should have shown restraint. If Ponomarev were in CSKA’s leadership, he indicated that reducing Chalov’s pay could be a prudent move to avoid signaling reduced value to European clubs. This perspective reflected a broader concern about how domestic clubs manage star players in the face of international interest, and whether Chalov’s demands could make a move to Europe more difficult or, conversely, more attractive to potential suitors who weigh salary against potential transfer fees and bonuses.
In mid-February, a well-known sports journalist reported that CSKA had presented Chalov with a new contract proposal valued at roughly €2.5 to €3 million per year. The update noted that Chalov’s representatives were seeking a signing bonus of €4 million, which would include agent fees. The negotiation dynamics highlighted the ongoing tension between the player’s earnings expectations and the club’s wage structure, as well as the perceived value of Chalov as a long-term asset for CSKA.
Chalov’s current contract with CSKA was set to run through December 2024. There had been media chatter about possible interest from Zenit St. Petersburg, with reports indicating Zenit had made a substantial offer in the vicinity of €10 million. While transfer rumors can swirl around star strikers, the precise terms and outcomes depend on the negotiations between the club executives, the player, and his representatives, as well as the broader market for young Russian forwards.
The striker is a product of CSKA’s youth system, having joined the club in 2006. He progressed through the ranks and, ten years later, broke into the first team. Chalov quickly established himself as a prolific forward, finishing the 2018/19 Russian Premier League season as the league’s top scorer with 15 goals. His development with CSKA solidified his reputation as a dependable attacker capable of delivering goals in key matches and seasons where the team sought to compete for domestic titles and European competition qualifications.
In the current Russian Premier League campaign, Chalov has appeared in all 19 league matches, contributing eight goals and three assists in a show of continued form and consistency. His production has positioned him as the club’s leading scorer for the season and a focal point for CSKA’s attacking system, underscoring the importance of his contract situation for the team’s strategic planning and squad depth.
Previously, Chalov’s former CSKA coach had expressed satisfaction with the forward’s decision not to join Zenit, signaling a level of mutual respect and recognition within the club’s ecosystem. The coach’s remarks reflected a belief in Chalov’s potential to grow with CSKA and contribute to the club’s long-term ambitions, while also acknowledging the pressures that come with top-tier contracts and heightened expectations from all parties involved.