Meet the fantastic full-back who could cost Prem clubs under £500k
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Managers across the Premier League will have been updating their January shopping basket during the World Cup Qualifiers, and chances are that several top-flight bosses will have been eyeing up Azerbaijan right-back Maksim Medvedev.
The 27-year-old helped Milli to a third successive clean sheet in qualifying in last night’s 0-0 draw in the Czech Republic, having fired home the winner against Norway on Saturday.
He’s been in similarly excellent form for club side Qarabag, netting twice in the season opener against AZAL as the local lad looks to guide the Azeri giants to a fourth successive league title.
While there’s been no concrete bids from English sides for the full-back, he impressed many on these shores when Qarabag faced Tottenham in 2015.
And with 52 games in the Champions League and Europa League under his belt, the Baku native has plenty of big-game experience, and has looked a match for some of the continent’s best attackers.
A deadly crosser of the ball, Medvedev is also quick, reliable and increasingly becoming of crucial goals for both club and country.
With fees in Azeri football decidedly modest, Transfermarkt.co.uk estimate the full-back’s market value at just £425k. That’s loose change for any Premier League club, many of whom would benefit greatly from a player of Medvedev’s quality.
That should make him an especially attractive target for any of Hull City, Stoke City and West Ham, all of whom have shipped an average of two or more goals a game this season.
As for Azerbaijan, they’re 200/1 to win qualifying Group C ahead of favourites Germany, to reach a first ever major tournament.
If Medvedev helps edge them closer to that goal, his price tag and the number of Premier League suitors could quickly rocket up.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
