Florentino Perez is looking at a shock prospect to reinforce the attack, with FK Krasnodar forward Fedor Smolov emerging as a January target for Real Madrid.
According to Spanish publication Don Balon, Real Madrid are intensifying their process of reinforcing their attack come January. However, with all top footballers tough to convince for a move in the winter transfer window, Florentino Perez is eyeing a move for FK Krasnodar striker Fedor Smolov.
Fedor Smolov has been a journeyman, albeit mostly in Russia itself. Joining Dinamo Moscow in 2007, the player was loaned out season-after-season to other clubs, with a season-long loan at Feyenoord his only campaign outside of Russia. The forward joined Krasnodar in the summer of 2015 on a free transfer and has been essential for the Russian side ever since.
His record at Krasnodar speaks for itself – 58 goals and 16 assists in 89 appearances – a vast contrast to his tally at previous clubs. And judging by his start to the current Russian Premier League campaign, Krasnodar will have a tough task at hand in order to keep the 27-year-old at the club.
The striker has been generating interest from a few clubs hailing from the top 5 leagues in Europe. However, none of them come even close to the stature of Real Madrid, who seem to have joined the race. Florentino Perez knows well enough that the targets he has in mind are unlikely to agree to a move in January.
⚡️ The RFN Player of the Year for 2016 (yes, it’s a little late) is… Fedor Smolov! ⚡️https://t.co/wVvVAFeY7U pic.twitter.com/ijoep18qtv
— RussianFootballNews (@RusFootballNews) November 26, 2017
Smolov, on the other hand, could be convinced to act as a squad player at the Bernabeu – a role he may gladly agree to take in order to achieve a move to what is one of the most iconic clubs in world football. At 27, the player looks to be hitting the peak form of his career and could be one of the best bargains of the upcoming transfer window(s).
Every successful and dominant giant in European football is often based around utility players who can chip in at important times and Smolov could become one for Los Blancos. Unlikely to cost as much as the other glorified targets, Perez will be able to reinforce the attack with an in-form striker without much outlay.
Zinedine Zidane will not have much problem either as it will only bolster his options and will not cause any disruption in his selection policy, which may happen in case a striker with a burgeoning reputation is brought in.
This could prove to be a masterstroke by Perez if the deal does end up happening in January. The 27-year-old will also be eligible to represent Real in the Champions League as well, which is an added bonus to his being an option in domestic competitions.
Real’s lack of goals does point towards the need for an in-form striker and Smolov could just be on his way to the Spanish capital come January.
