PSG close in on Russian star as Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea blocked

Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have been unable to complete a move for Aleksey Batrakov because UK sanctions prevent direct payments to Russian clubs. Scouts regard the 20-year-old as one of the game's top prospects, but legal barriers—highlighted by the Nikola Vlasic case involving West Ham—meant attempts via multi-club networks or loan arrangements offered no workable solution.

Paris Saint-Germain moved quickly to exploit that opening. Free to do business with Russian teams, PSG have seen sporting advisor Luis Campos lead the pursuit, with the club pointing to previous success in the market such as goalkeeper Matvey Safonov from Krasnodar in 2024, who was part of the squad that secured Champions League glory against Arsenal.

The transfer is at an advanced stage, agent Dmitry Cheltsov said, with fee and salary discussions largely agreed and only minor details remaining. Campos is due to travel to Moscow to finalise terms; the reported structure is a €25m transfer fee with a salary in the region of €5–6m.

Russia, Moscow

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