MOSCOW, September 2 (R-Sport) - Russia’s Anzhi Makhachkala have signed Manchester City midfielder Abdul Razak on a season-long loan that bolsters a threadbare squad, City said Monday.
The deadline-day arrival of the 20-year-old Ivorian may help lift Anzhi out of danger of relegation after owner Suleiman Kerimov slashed the team’s budget last month and started a fire sale of star players including Samuel Eto’o and Willian.
In a Twitter statement, City did not mention any option to buy. The deal was in the works for several days, and Anzhi’s new coach Gadzhi Gadzhiev praised Razak following a 1-1 draw with Terek Grozny on Saturday.
"He is young and plays for the national team. We hope that he will help us and we will help him grow,” Gadzhiev said. “He is a holding midfielder. We have a busy schedule due to Europa League matches, so we need to have good reserves.”
Anzhi are in 14th place out of 16 teams in the Russian Premier League, one spot above the automatic relegation places.
Razak signed for City in 2011 but has played just four league games for the team since then and has been sent on loan to Portsmouth, Brighton and Hove Albion and Charlton Athletic.
The Russian and English transfer windows both close Monday.
