Real Madrid was interested in the Brazilian from Zenit. But in St. Petersburg they don’t know how to develop it.

Real Madrid was interested in the Brazilian from Zenit. But in St. Petersburg they don’t know how to develop it.

Dmitry Zimin November 24, 2023, 15:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.

Now Semak rarely uses Renan. However, his transfer can hardly be considered a mistake by the club.

The story of Robert Renan in Russia is increasingly reminiscent of the Brazilian series. In the winter of 2023, Zenit took a 19-year-old with a well-established reputation from Corinthians in the hopes of developing him into a top-level player. And many events happened to the young man during this time. There was interest from Real Madrid and Monaco, and great confidence from Semak, along with the image of the best offensive defender in the league. But very quickly we move to the dramatic stage of the plot: many mistakes, criticism from the coach and reservation. It seems that we are now at the top of this same line. After all, there is a risk that the series will end in winter. And it is not at all a fact that the ending will be happy.

The current Renan is not even a player in Zenit’s rotation. Most likely, he is just a reserve player. In the last two months there have only been two appearances on the field. And two substitutions after the first half. In general, for the same reasons: errors plus uncertainty. At first, the player’s representatives asked everyone to calm down. The message is that Semak knows what he is doing, Robert is a young boy, give him time. However, now the rhetoric is completely different. Globo Esporte reported that the defender received several requests from Europe and is willing to consider them. The player’s agent (and at the same time unofficial sports director of the Brazilian blue and white), Luis Fernando García, immediately spoke. He usually denies everything, but then, unexpectedly, he confirms it. He said inquiries are being made about the footballer. Nothing more for now.

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Of course this is a sign. First of all, the club. We are ready to take away the player you are not developing. We are ready to move him to any other country, where you will be given time, the opportunity to make even more mistakes and then make money by moving him. But it seems that Zenit is not going to succumb to provocations. One way or another, all the cards are on their table: they have a long-term contract with the player and 90% of the economic rights. So it is up to the club to decide Robert’s future. And determine where and under what conditions it will develop.

Sergei Semak and Robert Renan

Photo: fc-zenit.ru

The Zenit coaching staff really wanted the boy’s growth to take place under their supervision. And he really gave a lot of opportunities. After all, it rarely happens that a newcomer, without going through the training camp with the team, immediately enters the main team. But that’s exactly what happened with Renan, who entered the starting lineup on March 4 and remained there until the summer. 10 games with Zenit (most of them complete) is not bad at all for the first months in Russia. Perhaps the surprise effect played a role: the RPL simply did not have this type of defender, with an excellent first pass at any distance, technique at the level of an attacking midfielder and confident dribbling. The only thing left was to learn to defend ourselves. Renan really played elegantly, but gradually his style was adjusted, adding more pragmatism. Especially after productive mistakes, like in the match against Loko. There is less running forward and haggling. But there was still no reason to send him to the reserves. He finished the season as a starter, joined the national team and the new guy was expected to also start in the lineup. Although he is not accompanied by the injured Rodrigao. However, as we have seen, without him it was not easy for Robert.

He started the first round alongside Chistyakov and already in the first half he missed Suleymanov twice. Only a miracle helped Zenit not miss Paris NN. Semak did not change him during the break, he released him into the starting eleven in the next round against Rostov, but he did not see any reliability in the confrontation with Komlichenko. And with Dynamo he is completely sad: “taking” the moment with Tyukavin’s goal and complete confusion in the second half. Semak couldn’t take it anymore and replaced the Brazilian after 45 minutes. From that point on, there was only one full match in the RPL. And three appearances in the Cup. And Semak was finally convinced that with Alip in his place, although not as impressive, he was much more reliable. Yes, the Kazakh defender is not so good at advancing the ball, he does not make great passes, but he is superior in single combat and makes much less mistakes.

Sergey Semak

Zenit coach

“Renan started well and with a lot of confidence. However, the start of this season was not very successful either for the team or for him personally. Regarding his evolution in training, he looks much better now than when he didn’t play. Now there will be a Cup and he will have a good chance of competing for a place in the starting eleven. Why does he play less now? Alip plays well. At that time he won the competition. He fights well and is good at martial arts. Everyone has the disadvantages of it. Therefore, everything remains in the hands, in this case, in the feet of the players. Please let him play whoever is better.”

It is almost impossible to classify Renan’s invitation by Zenit as a mistake. If only because they did not formally pay it, it is just part of the natural exchange for Alberto’s transition. Only two questions remain: Will Zenit be able to develop it until a real offer of at least 10 to 15 million euros arrives? And if not, what to do with it?

Regarding the first point, everything is clear: Zenit needs to win titles. And for this we need more reliable players. Therefore, Renan can only be given time in not particularly important Cup matches. But there are fewer and fewer. You can also expect him to make dramatic progress in training. Or that he will be allowed to make mistakes again to leave himself open for sale. There are enough scenarios.

How Alip became an important part of the team:

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But what if not? What if everything stays the same? Apparently, Zenit is not particularly interested in renting. After all, a player may never return from a fictional Brazil. Now Transfermarkt values ​​​​the footballer at 9 million euros and for some reason there is a feeling that if in winter someone gives a conditional 15 million euros for a player, Semak will personally take him to the airport and put him on the first flight. to Istanbul.