Oleg Terekhin, the former Dinamo Moscow striker, along with Brazilian winger Wendel and Colombian midfielder Mateo Cassier, is preparing to leave Zenit St. Petersburg. He indicated that the move would not pose any issues for Zenit and suggested that departures would occur at the end of the current season rather than during the winter transfer window. This outlook was relayed to Euro-Football.Ru as a guiding frame for the situation.
“Zenit won’t face problems if any of them depart,” he stated. “They have already arranged deals with new Brazilian arrivals, which fits into Zenit’s plan. The club operates with a clear, efficient policy: recruit young talent, integrate them, and then market them for a profit. They do not lose money in these transactions; they possess the financial strength to support such a transfer strategy.”
Media reports have hinted that both foreign players could leave Zenit in the near term, reflecting ongoing changes within the squad as the club navigates multiple fronts in domestic and international football.
At present, Zenit sits third in the Russian Premier League (RPL) standings, having accumulated 36 points after 18 rounds. The title race remains tight, with the blue-white-blues trailing the leaders by two points. Dinamo Moscow occupies the third spot with 32 points. The second half of the Russian Championship is scheduled to begin in March, and in the 19th round, Sergei Semak’s team is set to host Spartak Moscow, a traditional and storied rival from the capital.
Looking back to the broader football calendar, FIFA and UEFA announced in the spring of 2022 that the Russian national team and all Russian clubs would be suspended from participation in competitions under their governance. Since that decision, Russian clubs have participated only in friendly fixtures, continuing to assess their development and long-term strategy under evolving international rules and sanctions landscape.
There were also comments from a veteran of the USSR national team who urged caution about trusting the Brazilian players too readily, suggesting that a balanced approach to squad management and player development would be wise for Zenit as it plans for the future and aligns with financial and sporting objectives.