Director responds when asked if Rangers are signing Russia veteran Artem Dzyuba

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Rangers director Ross Wilson has ruled out a potential move to Ibrox for free-agent Russia international Artem Dzyuba, speaking to RB Sport.

Sometimes, rumours so bizarre and so downright random emerge that you wonder where on earth they originated from in the first place. Artem Dyzuba; the 34-year-old from Spartak Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg talisman, heading to Rangers? 

Ironically enough, the first time we heard Dzyuba’s name mentioned in conjunction with the Glasgow giants came today, when the club’s sporting director rubbished one of the oddest transfer links since Robin van Perise was supposedly brushing up on his Glaswegian slang back in 2016. 

“Dzyuba? It’s not for us,” Wilson says. 

Rangers will not be signing Artem Dzyuba

He’s not for anyone, it seems. Dzyuba became a free-agent when his contract at Turkish outfit Adana Demirspor was terminated nearly three months ago but he is still struggling to find employment. That is despite a superb goalscoring record, and a tally of 30 in 55 Russia caps. 

“Dzyuba is a high-quality player. Why can’t he find a club?” asks former Dinamo Moscow defender Vitali Dyakov (Sport24). “It surprises me that such a strong player is without a team. It’s unclear why this is happening.  

“The system of Russian football has changed a lot over the past five to seven years. Mostly, (clubs) sign young players. And even Dzyuba, who is one of the best strikers in the history of Russian football, who won a lot of things, is still without a club.  

“Harsh times. It seems to me that he would be useful to any team.” 

Russia legend Dzyuba could have signed for Tottenham

As recently as 2021/22, Dzyuba scored 13 goals and set up 10 more as Zenit claimed yet another Russian Premier League title. On the other hand, the soon-to-be 35-year-old has certainly lost a yard or two of pace in his advancing years. It’s not as if he was particularly quick at the peak of his powers to begin with. 

Dzyuba missed out on an opportunity to join Tottenham Hotspur in January 2020; Zenit blocking what would have been the biggest move of the veteran’s career. 

“Zenit said no. And that’s all,” Dzyuba recalls (Russia24). “If Tottenham really wanted to sign me then I think they would have been more insistent. That said, the interest was real.”