MOSCOW, August 28 (R-Sport) – Days after gutting their high-priced roster amid rampant budget cuts, Russia's Anzhi Makhachkala football team re-entered the signing pool, inking Nigerian center-back Ayodele Adeleye to what the team said Wednesday was a "long-term agreement."
The 24-year-old defender is the first signing for Anzhi since the Dagestan-based club announced massive restructuring on August 8.
The club did not specify the length of Adeleye's contract in an announcement published on its website.
Adeleye will attempt to make up for the departure of center-back duo Joao Carlos, who moved to Spartak Moscow, and Christopher Samba, who was sent to Dynamo Moscow.
Adeleye has been a free agent since April, when he was released by FC Kuban after two months with the team.
The Nigerian has played for Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam and Ukraine’s Metallurg Donetsk and Tavriya Simferopol and was a member of the national team that won silver at the 2008 Olympics. He has nine caps with the national squad.
Anzhi are currently second-to-last in the Russian league after losing four matches and drawing another two.
