Zenit St Petersburg have completed the signing of Rubin Kazan forward Sardar Azmoun.
The player - often described as the 'Iranian Messi' - was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League during the closing stages of the January transfer window, with Wolverhampton Wanderers keen to bring in the 24-year-old.
Wolves allegedly agreed terms over a loan deal for the player, but the West Midlands outfit were only prepared to have an option to buy Azmoun in the summer while Rubin wanted an obligation to sign the striker on a permanent basis.
However, that disagreement led to Zenit making an approach and the clubs have confirmed that a transfer has been finalised, with the Russian transfer window not closing until later in February.
The fee has remained undisclosed, but it has been reported that Zenit have paid around £10.5m for Azmoun.
Darren Plant
