Premiere order: the main transfer rumors of the winter in the RPL

The winter break in the Russian Premier League is the time to prepare for player transfers. The transfer window in Russia will officially open on January 23, but rumors of exchanges are already circulating, as key transactions are not completed in one day. Rumor has it that Barinov is being sent from Loko to CSKA, Zenit intends to strengthen itself with a Russian forward, and Spartak Moscow cannot decide on a head coach. About the most high—profile potential acquisitions of RPL players and coaches - in the material of Izvestia.

Zenit and CSKA are preparing a super swap

Petersburgers threaten to become headliners of the winter transfer window. And they will certainly become one if there is an exchange of players with CSKA. According to media reports, Zenit and CSKA are discussing the exchange of Argentine striker Luciano Gonda for Russian defender Igor Diveev. Moreover, an additional payment is expected from the St. Petersburg club, approximately in the amount of € 3-5 million.

At first glance, the deal seems reasonable and logical. Luciano lost the competition to Mateo Cassierra for the position of the main central striker, and when he got rare chances, he did not take advantage of them. As a result: 300 minutes in 14 RPL matches — zero goals. Although there is no doubt about the qualities of the Argentine: last season he proved that he is able to benefit the team with goals scored. And CSKA needs just such a player. The current army forwards, Alerrandro and Tamerlan Musaev, have three goals between them. With such baggage, you can't stay in the top 3 of the league, let alone fight for the championship.

Luciano is able to find a second wind in CSKA and start scoring again. Zenit will receive in return one of the best Russian central defenders, a relatively young one (26 years old), who will not only strengthen the base, but also help in the formation of the squad when the limit on foreign players is tightened. Zenit's line of defense is mainly legionary. It should be diluted.

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Chalov will return to Russia?

Zenit's potential exchanges do not end with Diveev and Gonda. For the sake of maintaining a quantitative balance in the line of defense and attack, there may be an exchange with the Greek PAOK.

According to well-known football insider Ivan Karpov, PAOK offered Zenit to trade striker Fedor Chalov for central defender Strahinja Erakovic. And there's logic to this potential deal, too.

Erakovich is far from the first choice of Zenit head coach Sergei Semak for the position of central defender. There is Vanya Drkusic, as well as Kazakh Nuraly Alip. Strahinja has played 637 minutes in 12 matches this season, so the rumors are not unfounded. But they are not limited to PAOK alone — there was also information about the interest in the defender from the Turkish Besiktas.

At the same time, Chalov is not seen as a priority target for Zenit. The Russian striker is not doing well in Greece: only three goals in 23 matches. But the same fact simplifies the transaction. It will obviously be easier for Fedor mentally in Russia, and the Petersburgers will get a good player with Russian passports.

Santa Barbara between Barinov, Lokomotiv and CSKA

Prior to the rumors about Diveev's transfer to Zenit, the main information "bomb" of the winter transfer window was considered to be the saga of the transfer of Lokomotiv midfielder Dmitry Barinov to CSKA.

But it might not have happened if it hadn't been for one caveat: Barinov's current contract with the railwaymen expires in the summer of 2026, and a new agreement has not yet been signed. And if this does not happen, then starting from January 1, the Loko captain can negotiate directly with any club about a summer transfer as a free agent. At first, Zenit was mentioned in the rumors, but recently there has been a more focused conversation around CSKA.

On December 3, it became known that Barinov had rejected Lokomotiv's final offer for a new contract. On December 23, Vladimir Kuzmichev, Barinov's representative, said that Loko and CSKA were currently discussing a deal for Barinov and were already exchanging documents. It is possible that the transition will take place in winter. In this case, the railwaymen will be able to receive at least some compensation for the captain's departure - they would not have received anything in the summer. Transfermarkt estimates Barinov at €9 million, but given the duration of the current contract, the issue price may be around €3-4 million. Most likely, this is what CSKA wants to come to in the end. Hence the long history of the transition, similar to "Santa Barbara". But it seems that the final is near.

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Dynamo has decided on a coach, Spartak has not

In the autumn part of the championship, there was an intrigue with the future of coaching chairs in two Moscow clubs — Dynamo and Spartak. The blue and white team appointed Rolan Gusev instead of Valery Karpin, and the red and white team appointed Vadim Romanov instead of Deyan Stankovich. Each one is marked with the prefix "acting".

Both Gusev and Romanov are "their" coaches. Roland grew up at the Dynamo Academy, and Vadim grew up at the Spartak Academy. And both spent the autumn part of the RPL as a carbon copy: four matches, one win, one draw and one defeat.

At the same time, only Dynamo has decided to trust "their own" so far. On December 23, the blue and white confirmed Gusev as a full-fledged head coach of the team, however, only until the end of the season. They'll keep watching. Perhaps in the direction of Stanislav Cherchesov, who is very difficult to lure away from the unyielding Akhmat. But the situation may change in the summer.

Spartak, apparently, is still not ready to step on the throat of its own song and make a choice in favor of a Russian specialist. At least give Romanov a chance. According to rumors, the sports director of the red and white, Francis Cahigao, considers foreigners exclusively. Recently it became known that the Moscow club allegedly proposed the candidacy of 58-year-old German Torsten Fink. As a player, he is known for playing for Bayern Munich, and as a coach for his work at Basel, Hamburg, Austria and Al—Nasr. The last club in Fink's coaching career until December 2025 was the Belgian Genk.

Sport-Express sources claim that Spartak is close to signing a contract with Juan Carlos Carcedo, Unai Emery's former assistant. It is possible that the club will conclude an agreement with the new coach not in December, but in January 2026.

Carcedo worked on the staff of Unai Emery at Almeria, Valencia, Spartak, PSG and Arsenal, where he crossed paths with Cahigao. And in general, there is a feeling that Spartak's sports director was looking for a coach not only based on professional characteristics, but also based on the proximity of mentalities. The first serious candidate, Luis Garcia, was also an acquaintance of Francis.