Yanbaev fast-tracked to Lokomotiv

FC Lokomotiv Moskva have signed Renat Yanbaev from Premier-Liga rivals FC Kuban Krasnodar while loaning Dmitri Kruglov to FC Torpedo Moskva.

Versatile midfielder
The versatile Yanbaev has signed a four-year contract with the Moscow side after a successful trial and is expected to make his debut next Wednesday in a rearranged Russian league fixture against FC Khimki – the side he played for in the 2005 season. He is nominally a midfielder but has the ability to play in almost every position. This season, the 23-year-old has featured in 12 league games for Kuban, scoring once.

Kruglov loaned
Meanwhile, Estonia defender Kruglov has taken a step down to play for Torpedo in the Russian second tier for the remainder of the season. Kruglov joined the Railway Men in 2005 but has made only ten league appearances in two and a half years. Earlier this summer, Lokomotiv signed Ghanaian international midfielder Haminou Draman after selling talismanic playmaker Dmitri Loskov to FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast. Lokomotiv begin their UEFA Cup campaign in the first round as Russian Cup holders.