Football: Zhirkov heads back to Russia

MOSCOW: Russian Premier League side Anzhi Makhachkala have signed winger Yury Zhirkov from Chelsea on a four-year deal, Russian daily Sovietsky Sport reported. Reports claim Anzhi have paid Chelsea £13.2 million for the 27-year-old Russian international. Zhirkov will reportedly receive a €5.5 million annual salary to become the Russian league’s top earner. Though Chelsea bought the highly-rated winger for a staggering £18 million from his previous club CSKA Moscow in 2009, he was unable to become an integral player for the club due to chronic injury problems. Zhirkov made only 49 appearances for the west London club, scoring just once.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2011.