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Chelsea’s attempts to sign Dynamo Moscow teenager Arsen Zakharyan were thwarted because of the current UK sanctions against Russia.
The teams had reached an agreement for the transfer of the player, in a deal reported to be close to £13 million.
However, despite the West London club activating his release clause, it was impossible to proceed with the transaction because that would have meant funds going to a club in Russia, something that is not currently permissible under British law.
It is also difficult to see how he would have been given a work permit.
Zakharyan is regarded as one of the brightest emerging talents in Russia, and Chelsea were hoping ot groom him as a future star.
Chelsea remain hopeful still of completing a transfer for the player further down the line, when the political situation has improved between the two countries, something that does not look immediately likely.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.