During the summer transfer window, the French club Paris Saint‑Germain, considered one of the strongest teams in Europe, added young Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi from England’s Bournemouth to its ranks. The Parisians paid the English side approximately €63 million for this player, which caused a big sensation on Europe’s crowded transfer market, according to reuters.com.
Experts commenting on this purchase note that it represents an important achievement for the local coaching staff. Zabarnyi’s age of 22 and the fact that he is moving to a French club for the first time further increase his future value. His professional journey that began at Dynamo Kyiv and his successful performances for Bournemouth had attracted the attention of the French. Now fans are intrigued about how he will prove himself in Paris.
Market analysts, after this acquisition, reviewed transfer history and prepared a ranking of footballers from the former Soviet Union who moved to other clubs for the highest fees. It is noted that only five republics of the former Union – Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Russia – are represented in this ranking. Among them, one of the most talked‑about news of this year is the move of the Uzbek central defender Abdukodir Khusanov from the French club Lens to English giant Manchester City.
This ranking is arranged as follows. First place is taken by Georgian midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who moved from Napoli to PSG for €75 million.
Then the second place belongs to Ukrainian Mykhailo Mudryk, who in 2023 transferred from Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea for €70 million.
Third place is occupied by this year’s new hero Illia Zabarnyi, who went to Paris for €63 million.
Fourth place belongs to the legendary Andriy Shevchenko – in 2006 he moved from Milan to Chelsea for €43.88 million.
In fifth place is Armenian Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who in 2016 moved from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United for €42 million.
The sixth place is filled by our compatriot Abdukodir Khusanov; he was transferred from Lens to Manchester City for €40 million plus a possible €10 million in bonuses.
The remaining spots are taken by Oleksandr Zinchenko (€35 million), another move of Mkhitaryan to Arsenal (€34 million), Ukrainian Artem Dovbyk (€30.5 million) and Russian Aleksandr Golovin along with Georgian Giorgi Mamardashvili (each for €30 million).
The feature of this ranking is that our compatriot Abdukodir Khusanov was recorded as the most expensive sale in the history of the French club Lens. The management of Manchester City decided to immediately add him to the squad after his successful performances in European competitions. It should be recalled that Lens acquired Khusanov in 2023 from the Belarusian club Energetik‑BGU for only €100,000, making a huge profit in a season and a half. During his games in France, Abdukodir proved himself as a reliable and tough defender. Thanks to his correct approach and hard work, he also contributed to the international image of Uzbek football.
Supporters are now waiting for the new season to see how Zabarnyi and Khusanov will play in their new teams and whether their play will take their clubs to new heights. Indeed, large numbers in the transfer market often have a single goal – to show oneself in a new place and make fans happy. We know that such large sums turn into a special kind of activity and success, giving impetus to the rise of new talents.
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