Shachar Grinberg, representing Russian Dynamo midfielder Daniil Lesovoy, confirmed that the footballer has submitted all required documents to pursue Israeli citizenship. This development appears to align with the player’s personal and family circumstances, as reported by Sports Express. Grinberg cited that the move is connected to the fact that his wife is Jewish, a detail underscoring the eligibility path that many players in similar situations consider when navigating nationality rules in European football.
The club’s communications arm announced in February that Lesovoy had moved from Haifa to Maccabi on a loan deal. The agreement is valid through the end of the 2023/24 season and includes an option for the club to buy the midfielder permanently if the arrangement proves successful. This loan spell marks a new chapter for Lesovoy, offering him steady first-team exposure and a chance to contribute to a different team dynamic during the mid-season stretch.
Lesovoy has been part of Dynamo since 2020, after previously representing Arsenal Tula and the secondary squad of Zenit. His early career also included time with the youth systems of blue-white-sky blue and Dynamo Kyiv. On the international stage, Lesovoy wore the Ukraine U-17 shirt before switching allegiance to Russia, where he appeared for the U-20 and U-21 squads. He received a call-up to the Russian senior team for the first time in 2020, though he did not take the field in that initial exposure.
In the current Russian Premier League season, Lesovoy has been on the pitch eight times, but his impact on the scoresheet has not yet materialized in a decisive way. The creative midfielder has been focusing on playmaking, positioning, and linking up with teammates, rather than scoring goals or delivering the kind of breakthrough performances that capture headlines.
As the league’s winter break concluded after 18 rounds, Krasnodar led the table with 38 points, following a narrow 1–0 victory over CSKA in the 18th round. Zenit, chasing continuity, sits in second place, just a couple of points behind, while Dinamo completes the top three with a comfortable gap. The standings reflect a competitive stretch where every fixture shapes the title race and European qualification prospects, and teams are weighing tactical shifts to maximize results in the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, there has been chatter around potential transfers for other clubs, with reports suggesting that Ugalde could be headed to Spartak and that Holland might be leaving his current club. These rumors illustrate how dynamic the transfer market can be during the winter window, especially for players who are adapting to new leagues, languages, and teammates while pursuing both personal ambitions and club objectives. The transfer market’s flux often influences how coaches deploy players like Lesovoy, who can provide versatility in midfield roles and contribute to different tactical plans as teams rotate resources to strengthen their campaigns.