Tag: Liverpool

Arsenal ‘closing in’ on transfer of Sardar Azmoun with the help of former Gunner Andrey Arshavin

  • 15 Jun 2020, 10:44

ARSENAL are reportedly in negotiations with Zenit Saint Petersburg over a deal to bring Sardar Azmoun to the Emirates.

Dubbed the “Iranian Lionel Messi”, the 25-year-old has previously attracted the interest of Liverpool as well as Celtic, and now the Gunners are said to be in for the forward.

Andrey Arshavin could help Arsenal sign Zenit Saint Petersburg striker Sardar Azmoun
Andrey Arshavin could help Arsenal sign Zenit Saint Petersburg striker Sardar Azmoun

According to Area Napoli, the North London giants have made contact with former fan favourite Andrey Arshavin over a move to sign Azmoun.

Arshavin is currently in charge of transfers at the Russian side, and it has been claimed that Arteta is hoping his friendship with his former team-mate could lead to the potential signing.

It has been stated that further talks between the two are planned as Arteta looks to sign a striker in the upcoming transfer window.

The report also adds that Arsenal are weighing up whether Azmoun would suit the Premier League.

Should they decide to press ahead with a move, Arshavin could help fast-track negotiations between the two clubs.

Along with Arsenal, it has been said that West Ham and Leicester are keeping tabs on the striker while the Italian club Napoli have been asking question recently but decided that the player is too expensive for the club budget.

Azmoun is a remarkable player by any standards. He is the only Iranian player who has yet to play a single minute for any Iranian club in the league. While still in the youth team of Sepahan Esfahan and on the brink of making his full debut in the Persian Gulf League, the Russian club Rubin Kazan offered Sepahan a relatively substantial amount to get his services.

Azmoun has scored 32 goals in 50 international for Team Melli. A remarkable feat for the youngster. He has already scored in the European Club competitions. Azmoun is a great header of the ball too, the type that the English football take a pride in.

Liverpool and Sardar Azmoun

Team Melli striker, Sardar Azmoun has finally reacted to rumours about the Interest of the European Leauge Champions, Liverpool FC interest in signing him.

Azmoun said “Whatever the case, I am a Zenit St. Petersburg player and I am bound by the contract. If there is anything, then the club will make it public. Right now, I have nothing to add”

Liverpool have been scouting Zenit Saint Petersburg striker Sardar Azmoun and the Iranian’s excellent form has impressed the onlookers, according to reports in Russia. Azmoun has been in exceptional form in the Russian Premier League side Zenit Saint Petersburg ever since his winter move to the club from Rubin Kazan. The 24-year-old moved to Zenit from Rubin Kazan on 1 February this year and has been finding the back of the net on a regular basis ever since.

Azmoun has scored 14 goals in 17 matches across all competitions since his arrival, including the two in the Russian Super Cup on Saturday, which Liverpool scouts were in attendance for, according to SovSport. Zenit went on to lose 3-2 to Lokomotiv Moscow, but the brace from the Iranian appeared to confirm to the visitors from Merseyside that he is the bright talent they thought he was. Currently, Jurgen Klopp team has Mohammed Salah, Saido Mane, Roberto Firmino, Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi in their forward line.

Liverpool was first linked with Azmoun back in the January transfer window of 2017, but he was not interested in the switch due to a likely lack of game time.

“There were talks of Liverpool having expressed an interest in me during the past winter transfer window,” Azmoun said in 2017.

“However, I did not feel the time to move was right.  I would have ended up playing a few games and then spent a great deal of time on the bench as Liverpool were only looking to fill a void for a particular part of their season.  I want to move to a big club to develop as a player and therefore I will time the move with great precision.  I am sure I will be playing for a top European club in the near future.”

Azmoun commented on the replacement for Queiroz and said: “I am very pleased that Wilmots’ appointment. He is a great coach for the national team. He and Queiroz are both good coaches. My point is that we should be happy to welcome a new coach and show due respect to the one that departed as well”.

Azmoun was asked about the change in tactics and how it affected him during the World Cup 2018 by the way the team played, he said: “At the World Cup, I was tasked to retreat and support our defensive line, while I never did it before in my career. Maybe that’s why people were criticizing me. It’s good now that the national team plays an offensive plan, but if we play aggressively and do not conclude, people still say criticize”.

“I do not seek the Iranian scoring record,” he said, referring to the large number of international matches and the possibility of him breaking the all-time goal-scoring record currently held by Ali Daei. Azmoun said “Ali Daei is a great player, a legend. Anyone can perhaps beat this record but that still does not diminish the value of the player.”

Azmoun and the English Premiere League, will it work?

Sardar Azmoun scored a brilliant goal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last night, his second in the competition after the one against Atletico Madrid in an earlier round. Sardar Azmoun is top scorer of Team Melli and a true potential of being one of the greatest Iranian player in the history like his idol Ali Daei. He has done his reputation a world of good by scoring against the 5 time European Champions to rekindle the calls and the pressure on him to join one of the big names of European football. Liverpool seems to be the main suitor.

Sardar Azmoun has many admirers not just Liverpool FC, Since Farhad Moshiri, the British-Iranian businessman has bought majority interest in Everton, he has also shown serious interest in his compatriot. Sardar Azmoun has many admirers in the Bundesliga as well.

Saying all that, the biggest mistake of Sardar’s career would be to move to the English Premiere league, which has been the graveyard of so many promising young players and famous players too.  Chances of a 21 years old Iranian forward breaking into a team in the premiere league is quite a long shot. Despite the global appeal of the English PL, it is not highly rated in terms in producing and nourishing talents and in tactical value. The English style of play depends on stamina and strong physical attributes of players. A player is judged upon much he runs in the field and how much he tackles. Individual talents and other attributes come distant second. Not many leagues or football styles are played in the old British style and not many players can adept to it. Even some established professional footballers from other leagues have struggled.

sardar-azmoun-5204

Sardar Azmoun has many excellent attributes for a player at his age. His heading ability is second to none, he jumps high and he has no fear tackling defenders much stronger than him while going for headers. He has a fantastic ability in turning in small circles and beating defenders and leaving them chasing his shadow. Best of the lot , though is…He scores.

However, Azmoun comes from a football background where pace has never been its greatest attributes. The talent of the young man from Gonbad Kavos is undeniable but running for 90 minutes like he is expected to do in England, is not his strongest points. His stamina falls short of 90 minutes or beyond.

sardar azmoun 2

Of course there is always hope that Sardar might hit the bullseyes since the English Football is slowly being transformed from that mad pace into a more tactical and beautiful easy on the eyes style of  the European coaches which the likes of Arsene Wenger , Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have applied. However, the chances for Sardar are not so great and bench-warming will probably kill his career or at least delay his exceptional progress for years. For him to break into the league where the likes of Radamel Falcao , the young Paul Pogba , Pedro , and currently Sturridge have struggled , he really has to show some exceptional ability and work hard which might be beyond the physical mental and emotional ability of the young man.

 FC Rostov is a very cozy place for him right now. Perhaps in a year or so , the Bundesliga would suite his style, but the lure of the Sterling might be too attractive to ignore but detrimental to his career.

Liverpool lining up move for Rostov & Team Melli Forward Sardar Azmoun

Liverpool are considering a January move for the FC Rostov forward Sardar Azmoun in response to Jürgen Klopp’s concerns over the loss of Danny Ings and Sadio Mané in the new year.

Azmoun has been linked with several Premier League clubs, Everton and Stoke City among them, having impressed for the Russian club since a controversial move from Rubin Kazan. Liverpool, with the newly appointed sporting director, Michael Edwards, leading their recruitment department, have monitored the 21-year-old this season and are considering an offer when the transfer window reopens.

The Iran international has carried his goalscoring form into Rostov’s Champions League campaign this season, playing an influential role in their progress through the qualifying rounds with goals against Anderlecht and Ajax and also scoring against Atlético Madrid in last week’s group game.

Azmoun joined Rostov in February 2015 on loan from Rubin Kazan, who appealed to the Court of Arbitration – and lost – when his current employers triggered what Kazan claimed was a non-existent buy-out clause this summer.

With Ings out for the season following knee surgery and Mané bound for the Africa Cup of Nations, Klopp has admitted that Liverpool require reinforcement in attack, specifically out wide, in January.

Iran 1 -0 Qatar : Match reports

Goal.com

A solitary goal eight minutes into the second half was enough to send Iran and United Arab Emirates through to the second phase with one game left to play in the group stage

Sardar Azmoun demonstrated why he is reportedly attracting the interest of top Premier League clubs with a sublime individual goal as Iran beat Qatar 1-0 in Sydney to reach the Asian Cup quarter-finals and knock the Gulf champions out.

Rubin Kazan striker Azmoun has been linked with Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool and it was easy to see why on the evidence of his stunning second-half strike at the ANZ Stadium on Thursday

azmoun-scores

Azmoun produced a fine turn and finish to ensure Carlos Queiroz’s side will progress from Group C with the United Arab Emirates, both nations having won their first two games.

Iran beat Bahrain 2-0 in their opening game of the tournament last weekend and did just enough to see off Qatar, who produced a much-improved showing following their 4-1 hammering at the hands of the UAE but crash out with a game remaining.

Iran and UAE, 2-1 winners over Bahrain on Thursday, lock horns in Brisbane on Monday to determine who will finish top of the group.

Both sides looked short of ideas going forward in a frantic start, but it was Iran – backed by an impressive contingent of vociferous supporters – who looked more dangerous as the first half progressed.

Midfielder Karim Boudiaf came to Qatar’s rescue with a crucial intervention when Masoud Shojaei looked poised to get on the end of Ashkan Dejagah’s cross from the right 23 minutes in.

Iran were happy to let Qatar see plenty of the ball, before trying to pick them off on the break, although an initial lack of quality in the final third made it hard to see where the opening goal would come from.

Morteza Pouraliganji had a header cleared off the line by Ahmed El Sayed and Dejagah let fly with a right-footed strike that flashed wide of the far post as Iran ended the half on the front foot.

Queiroz’s side then moved in front seven minutes into the second period, and it was a moment of quality that was worth the wait as Azmoun sent the Iran fans into raptures with a sublime goal.

The 20-year-old took a pass from the lively Dejagah with his back to goal, spun Almahdi Ali with a sharp turn and kept his composure to apply a right-footed finish.

Azmoun’s night was cut short 10 minutes later when he was carried off with an injury, which did not appear to be serious, soon after Qatar had lost Ismaeel Mohammad to injury.

Mohammed Muntari had half a chance to draw Qatar level, but Ali Reza Haghighi comfortably saved the striker’s header.

Qatar pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but were unable to fashion one and crash out in disappointing fashion as Iran march on.

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Iran beats Qatar to make Asian Cup quarter

Adrian Warren, AAP January 15, 2015, 10:12 pm

A sublime piece of skill from Sardar Azmoun booked Iran’s passage into the Asian Cup football quarter finals and condemned Gulf Cup champions Qatar to an early exit.

Sardar’s slick turn and clinical shot in the 52nd minute at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Thursday earned Iran a 1-0 win, their second victory from as many games.

It leaves them second in their group on goal difference behind the United Arab Emirates, who earlier in the day defeated Bahrain 2-1 in Canberra, and will now meet Iran in Brisbane next Monday.

Qatar, who were coming off a 4-1 opening game loss to the UAE, had a decent share of possession, but struggled to create good chances.

Russian-based Sardar’s goal delighted the vast majority of the 22,672 fans in attendance in Sydney, with Iran’s passionate and colourful fans ramping up the noise level of support to the max each time their team got close to Qatar’s penalty area.

Iran one of the pre-tournament favourites, were more consistently dangerous than Qatar and were good value for the win, which they achieved with a second straight clean sheet.

Qatar, who entered the tournament on a long unbeaten run, lacked penetration and didn’t get a single shot on target in the first half.

Just before halftime, Morteza Pouraliganji’s flying header from an Iran corner was headed off the line by Ahmed Elsayed, while Sardar had a firm fourth minute header saved by Qatar goalkeeper Qasem Burhan.

It was a similar story in the second half, even after an apparently injured Sardar came off just after the hour.

His substitute Reza Ghoochannejhad had four shots at goal, three of them saved, as Iran sought the cushion of a second goal.

The Qatar goalkeeper also had to push away a shot from Ehsan Haji Safi.

Qatar Substitute Meshaal Abdullah hit a post with a header in stoppage time, but he was judged offside.

Iran midfielder Andranik Teymourian was named man of the match.

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