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What's the story?
Liverpool are scouting Zenit St. Peterburg and Iran forward Sardar Azmoun with a view to bring him in, to bolster the forward line at Anfield.
In case you didn't know...
Azmoun has played his entire career to date in the Russian Premier League, appearing for the likes of Rostov and Rubin Kazan before making the move to Zenit in early 2019. Since joining the Russian champions, Azmoun has put in some impressive performances, scoring 9 goals in 12 league games.
The heart of the matter
The 24-year-old, who has also been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, recently scored twice for Zenit in the Russian Cup final, a game which Liverpool scouts were observing closely.
Azmoun has played well in the Russian leagues and has also won plaudits on the international stage. Although he retired from international football last year after facing harsh criticism from fans after Iran failed to qualify from the World Cup group stage, he has since returned to Iranian squad and has scored 28 goals in 45 games for his country. It is surely only a matter of time before he steps up to one of the top European competitions, but whether it will be Liverpool or some other team who provide this opportunity is yet to be seen.
What's next?
Azmoun will have no doubt impressed the watching scouts during his recent Cup Final appearance, but it is uncertain whether it will be enough to earn him a move to the big leagues. Liverpool may continue to watch Azmoun for some time before making a final decision.
Although the powerful striker still has nearly three years to run on his Zenit contract, he could still present better value for money than similar players in the more high-profile European leagues. And at only 24, Azmoun will be coming into his best years and could learn from stars like Mo Salah. The 'Iranian Messi' could be the perfect signing for the Reds as they look to finally clinch a Premier League title next season.
