Vladimir Granat, a former Spartak Moscow defender who spent several seasons with the club, stated that he does not recall Shamar Nicholson, the striker who recently left Spartak as part of the squad shakeup. Granat’s comment echoes the broader uncertainty that follows player departures as a team reassesses its attacking options. In a landscape where each transfer reshapes plans, his remarks touch on the curiosity surrounding who will lead the line for a club aiming to maintain its competitive edge.
Granat added that it will be difficult for Spartak to go forward without adding a proven attacker. Nicholson had been part of the forward setup, and replacing others in the line such as Ugalde would also pose a challenge. He suggested that Nicholson was not a central figure or a leader of the starting trio, which may have factored into the decision to move on. In this view, the club is signaling a turn in its attacking strategy as it looks to rediscover balance among its forwards.
On February 2, Spartak announced the termination of Nicholson’s contract. The move marks the end of the forward’s time with the club after joining in 2022. His spell at Spartak included a season spent on loan at Clermont in France. In the current campaign, Nicholson had contributed four goals in 14 appearances for the Red-Whites.
Nicholson joined Spartak in 2022 and spent the previous season on loan at Clermont, where he gained valuable experience in a different league. This season he has added four goals across 14 games for Spartak, providing occasional moments of positive impact in the team’s attack. His performances helped the squad during stretches of the campaign, even as competition for starting spots remained fierce.
Before the winter break in the Russian Premier League, Spartak enjoyed a run of six consecutive victories, a streak that underscored the team’s growing cohesion. Those wins, including several decisive displays, pushed Spartak into third place with 37 points and left them two points behind the league leaders Krasnodar and Zenit. The period highlighted the squad’s resilience and depth as it prepared for the next phase of the season.
With the league entering a pause, attention turned to the plan for the resumption. The club scheduled a renewal of competition with Orenburg, a match set for March 2 in Moscow with a 16:30 kickoff time. The fixture will test Spartak’s ability to translate the recent form into sustained results as the season moves toward its latter stages.
Earlier reports had linked Nicholson with a move to another club, a development that prompted renewed speculation about Spartak’s forward options. While the official announcement focused on the contract termination, the broader narrative revolves around what lineup changes might come next and how the team will fill the gap left by Nicholson’s departure.