The Iranian forward joins the Bundesliga club after spending nearly three seasons with Zenit Saint Petersburg.
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Bayer Leverkusen have signed Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun from Zenit Saint Petersburg on a five-year contract, which gets activated from immediate effect rather than from summer 2022 as originally agreed. Azmoun, 27, has a knack of scoring goals and will compete against prolific goal scorer Patrik Schick and Lucas Alario for a place in the playing XI. He admitted that the playing style of Leverkusen has largely motivated him to join the club and he wants to serve at the best of his ability.
“[It is] a step from the best club in Russia to one of the best leagues in Europe,” he told Bundesliga.com
“Bayer Leverkusen have a really great squad. I’ve been keeping an eye on the club for a long time and am impressed by the team’s style of play. It’s incredibly exciting for me soon to be able to play in the Bundesliga. And I’m convinced I’ll make the team even better with my footballing ability.”
Azmoun has scored 39 goals in 60 appearances for his country. He was a key figure in the Iran attack in their appearances at the 2018 World Cup and two Asian Cup squads in 2015 and 2019.
In the Russian league, he found the net 62 times in 104 appearances across all competitions, besides being named Russia’s Footballer of the Year for 2021 and his impressive goal stats have continued into this season. He had scored 10 goals in 21 games including two strikes in the Champions League.
“We’re delighted to have completed this transfer,” said Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes when the deal was originally confirmed on 22 January.
After a deal was reached with Zenit to sign Azmoun immediately, the 40-year-old added: “We’re very happy about the constructive agreement with Zenit and that we can now make use of Sardar’s qualities earlier than planned. He’ll be an asset for our attack and will significantly improve what is already a very good squad.”
Managing director for sport, Rudi Völler added: “He’s very quick, good in the air and has a good sense for space. But he’s not just a goalscorer. Sardar Azmoun also sets up a lot of goals and is an outstanding fit for the Werkself as a player who combines well with others.”
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