Russia international Elmir Nabiullin insists that he ‘did not even think’ about leaving Rubin Kazan for Southampton when the Premier League outfit expressed an interest earlier in his career, speaking to Izvestia.
Fortunately, Nathan Jones’ relegation-threatened side do not appear to be encountering such resistance at the moment. Rapidly and decisively reinforcing a squad which looked doomed a fortnight ago but now has three wins in a row under it’s belt.
Mislav Orsic and Carlos ‘Charly’ Alcaraz are two exciting, potentially transformative additions; the former a prolific goalscorer in Croatia, the latter one of South America’s best up-and-coming midfielders.
Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson, according to The Athletic, is opening the door to a January move of his own; Southampton in talks over a deal that could set them back a cool £20 million.
But if Senegal speedster Jackson is an ongoing concern at St Mary’s, then 27-year-old Nabiullin is a thing of the past.
Russia international Elmir Nabiullin turned down Southampton move
The Mirror reported all the way back in December 2015 that the then-Rubin Kazan left-back was on Southampton’s radar. Not that the lure of the Premier League ever looked likely to turn Nabiullin’s head, however.
“I heard about the interest from Southampton when I played for Rubin,” the now-27-year-old defender recalls. “In my first or second season.
“The club said that there was an offer, but without specifics. Therefore, I did not even think about whether I wanted to go somewhere else or not.”
Nabiullin, to quote the Mirror, was seen as ‘one of the best young left-sided players in Europe’ at the time. It is now eight years since he made his one and only appearance for the Russian national team, however, with Nabiullin also playing just 20 games in a pair of highly-forgettable seasons at Zenit St Petersburg. It’s safe to say that potential has gone largely unfulfilled.
Nabiullin joined bottom-half outfit FC Pari Nizhny Novgorod on a free transfer from Khimki during the summer transfer window.
Southampton, meanwhile, host Aston Villa on Saturday before next week’s EFL Cup semi-final with Newcastle. Jones’ resurgent Saints stunned Manchester City in the last-eight. They also secured three vital points away at Goodison Park last time out.
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