Spertsyan’s agent: “Southampton is the perfect option, but everything depends on Galitsky’s decision”

Negotiations between FC Krasnodar and English club Southampton regarding the transfer of Armenia national team midfielder Eduard Spertsyan have reached a decisive stage. This was revealed by the player’s agent, Vadim Oganyan, in an interview with Sport24, stressing that the outcome of the deal could be determined within the next 24 hours.

— What’s the situation with Spertsyan’s transfer right now?
— In short: a lot of rumors and no specifics. Within the next day we will know whether the move to Southampton will happen or not.

— What does it depend on?
— On the dialogue between Galitsky and Spertsyan, and the decision of Sergey Nikolaevich.

According to Oganyan, the main obstacle remains Krasnodar’s reluctance to let go of one of its leaders. However, the player himself has long made his intentions clear.

— What does Eduard want right now?
— The same as throughout the entire transfer window — to move to Europe. He’s been saying this for three years. First, he was not allowed to join Ajax, then Lens — as far as I know — made an offer, but it was rejected with the excuse that it was a “small club.” Now there’s this unclear situation with Southampton.

Oganyan estimates the chances of the transfer at “50-50.”

— How upset will Eduard be if the transfer doesn’t happen?
— I think he’ll be disappointed, because he’s been wanting to leave for three years, and now he has a concrete chance. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have said after the Dynamo game that he was going to speak with Galitsky. Eduard has a clear interest in moving to Southampton.

Why Southampton?
Oganyan emphasized that the English club remains an attractive option despite currently playing in the Championship.

— What’s the appeal? After all, the club is in the second division.
— It’s a big club that spent 13 seasons in the Premier League and kept 90% of its squad. The squad’s market value is more than double that of Krasnodar. Plus, the Championship is the 6th strongest league in the world. Anyone who truly understands football knows that it’s much stronger than the Russian Premier League, both in terms of sporting quality and as a springboard to England’s top clubs.

The agent also highlighted that Southampton’s style of play is a perfect fit for Spertsyan: the team dominates matches, attacks frequently, and controls possession.

— What’s the club’s advantage?
— Southampton plays from a position of strength against everyone. I’m convinced the club will 100% return to the Premier League at the end of the season. It will be easier for Eduard in such a team: he’ll always be on the ball and creating.

The problems of Russian football and Spertsyan’s last chance
Oganyan was blunt about the prospects of the RPL:

— Unfortunately, no one in Europe watches the RPL. Our league is already uncompetitive compared to European leagues, and next year a strict foreign player limit will be introduced, which will make it even weaker. So I don’t understand what motivation Krasnodar has to keep Eduard.

According to him, Southampton has made the most substantial offer in three years, and missing this chance would be a huge mistake.

— Perhaps, but he’ll turn 26 next year. After 25, time works against you, and such offers won’t come again. As his agent, I have a clear understanding: this is his last transfer window to move to Europe.

Are there any barriers to the deal?
When asked about possible legal restrictions on transfers from Russia to England, the agent gave an example of successful moves.

— That’s not true. A clear case is Isidor’s transfer to Sunderland. I consulted top English lawyers, and they told me clearly: if the clubs want to make this deal, there should be no problem.

According to Oganyan, Krasnodar is not under sanctions, and the process is no different from transfers involving French or other European clubs.

UPDATE: Spertsyan will not move to Southampton: the decision was made by the player himself