Turkish league leaders confirm signing of ex-Russia captain
Turkish Super Lig team Adana Demirspor have confirmed the capture of Russian striker Artem Dzyuba, after he was unveiled on Thursday on a one-year deal with the option of another season as an extension.
Dzyuba, 33, departed Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg as a free agent at the end of last season and had been strongly linked with a move to the Turkish league.
Initial speculation had touted Fenerbahce as a potential destination, before Dzyuba himself trigged rumors of a possible switch to fellow Istanbul giants Besiktas this week when he shared footage of their stadium on social media.
But Adana Demirspor were said to already have a deal in place – which was confirmed as they announced the striker on social media on Thursday.
Kulübümüz, milli oyuncu Artem Dzyuba ile 1+1 yıllık sözleşme imzalamıştır. Hoş geldin Dzyuba ! pic.twitter.com/HouOtsfnQU
— Adana Demirspor (@AdsKulubu) August 18, 2022
Adana Demirspor are the early pacesetters in the Turkish top flight this season with two wins from two games, having finished ninth in the table last season under Italian manager Vincenzo Montella.
Their ranks already include the likes of colorful former Manchester City and Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli, as well as Ukrainian defender Yaroslav Rakitskiy – a former teammate of Dzyuba’s at Zenit who left the Russian club by mutual consent after the onset of the conflict in his homeland.
Dzyuba left Zenit in the summer after helping the team to a fourth successive Russian Premier League title. He had been at the club since 2015, playing 249 matches in total and scoring 108 times, while registering 70 assists.
One of Russian football’s best-known stars, the 6ft 5in frontman emerged as a national hero during the run to the World Cup quarterfinals on home soil in 2018.
He was later elevated to captain by manager Stanislav Cherchesov, going on to become Russia’s all-time joint top-scorer in international football with 30 goals, although he was also beset by a sex video scandal in November 2020.
Dzyuba has not featured for the national team since Valeri Karpin took over as head coach in the wake of the early exit from the European Championships last summer.
