New Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez has been pretty impressed with the Russian’s effort in the pre-season and wants him as a back up for Cristiano Ronaldo. However, with Madrid having an avalanche of attacking forwards in their ranks, a serious question mark remains whether he would be getting regular game time at the Bernabeu next season.
The 24-year-old, who progressed through the youth ranks at the club, spent successful loan period at Villarreal last season, where he really impressed for the La Liga side. His impressive performances didn’t go noticed, as a result he has been attracting several offers from English and other Spanish clubs.