In the shadow of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Russian soccer world is in turmoil and one of the clubs, Dinamo Moscow, whose 19-year-old starlet, Sahaan, is in the spotlight. This summer, Premier League giants Chelsea tried to sign the potential star for £12.6 million, however the deal eventually fell through. However, the two sides have not given up and Sahaan recently announced his intention to change his nationality from Russian to Armenian in a bid to land on the Premier League stage.
FIFA and UEFA have so far imposed a ban on the Russian national team, meaning that they will miss out on both this year's World Cup and the UEFA Nations Cup in two years' time. Russian players have been restricted as a result, and Chelsea have never been able to bring Sahaan into the fold, despite their love for him.
Sahaan has shown signs of being a supernova in the Russian Premier League, contributing three goals and five assists in 17 appearances in all competitions this season. He was called up for the Russian national team but withdrew due to injury. Sahaan's family has deep ties to Armenia and he has recently been interested in changing his nationality in order to avoid sanctions. However, the Armenian Football Federation has denied any contact with Sahaan.
According to sources, Chelsea plan to make another attempt to sign Sahaan in January next year and are ready to pay the release fee. However, there has been no substantial progress in the negotiations between the two sides.
