Edited by Alex Smith
A few months ago, if I told you the name Gamid Agalarov, you’d probably have no clue who I was talking about. But Agalarov’s stocks have risen exponentially, and he’s now the hottest prospect in Russia, leading the league’s top scorers chart.
Ufa is not one of the biggest clubs in Russia, and currently lie in 15th place, in the relegation zone, getting closer to leaving the league they’ve played in since 2014. And things aren’t looking bright either, with Ufa winning only one match out of their last nine.
There’s one thing playing in their favour, Ufa is home to one of the hottest prospects in Russia. Gamid Agalarov, a 21-year-old striker, was a relative unknown when the season began - now he is leading the league's top scorers list. 13 goals in 17 games sees him above household names, including Artem Dzyuba and Sardar Azmoun.
Gamid Agalarov for Ufa in the Russian Premier Liga this season:
— Football Talent Scout - Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) November 21, 2021
✅15 games
⚽️13 goals
🥅3 penalties won
📊goal every 85 minutes
📈38% conversion rate
⭐️81% of all Ufa goals scored
21 years of age. What a season he is having. The Killer from Makhachkala. 🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/PwwtjTe0me
Agalarov was born in Makhachkala and started his career at local club, Anzhi. In January 2020, he left for Ufa but failed to impress. After barely playing in his inaugural season, he was loaned to Volgar Astrakhan, a second-tier side, where he usually played as a substitute. Despite this, he still showed his talent, scoring five, an average of one every 133 minutes.
This season he had another chance at Ufa. And things started well, scoring a brace against Dynamo Moscow in his second league game - but that was just a warm-up. Agalarov scored six goals in five consecutive matches earlier this year, including a pivotal equalizer against Zenit. The Russian Premier League’s top scorer is key for Ufa’s season, being responsible for 76% of his team’s league goals - the rest of the team have scored a total of four.
This great start to the season helped Agalarov reach new peaks, including a debut for the Russia U21’s, scoring four goals in four caps. October saw a call-up to the senior team too, but he’s yet to make an appearance, and there’s now near-constant transfer speculation linking the Russian to top domestic sides, including Zenit and Spartak Moscow.
"I believe that in the spring, he will no longer be a Ufa player," said Anton Vaniushov, a leading Russian sports journalist, “the big clubs are always looking for a local striker, Agalarov has a promising future and he will score for these clubs."
And there’s almost a consensus here. Mikhail Melamed, commentator for MatchTV, says there’ll be offers for Agalarov and, “if Ufa keep him, it could be an obstacle in his development as a hot prospect."
📈 Gamid Agalarov scored 8 times this #RPL season
— Russian Premier Liga (@premierliga_en) September 25, 2021
🔜 He scored last 5 matches in a row. Will the striker continue his streak today? pic.twitter.com/QeVBp4zdMF
That decision, however, will be down to Ufa’s CEO, Shamil Gazizov. He’s not willing to speak about transfer rumours yet, but his plans are quite different.
"Agalarov still needs to work and improve, but he has the potential to play for bigger teams," he said in a recent interview with Sport-Ekspress. According to Gazizov, Agalarov shouldn’t be limited to a domestic move, saying a move abroad “will be much better for the national team," hinting that Agalarov's destiny might be in one of the continent’s top leagues, rather than playing in Russia.
Gazizov, a leading CEO in Russian football, is not overhyping his star player. Agalarov has a chance to become one of Russia's leading strikers very soon. The top two at the moment, Fyodor Smolov and Anton Zabolotny, are both over 30 years old, and Qatar 2022 could well be their last campaign.
Regardless of which team Agalarov is playing for, Ufa is still in trouble. Deep down in the relegation zone, the team could leave the Russian Premier League after eight seasons, and Agalarov's possible departure could be crucial to their fate. No one else is scoring.
With the Russian Premier League shortly entering its winter break, what will happen to Agalarov and Ufa?
⚽ Goalscorers list after #RPL Week 17
— Russian Premier Liga (@premierliga_en) December 6, 2021
1⃣ Gamid Agalarov is still on the 1st place #RPLStats pic.twitter.com/XhVVSJ8ff5
