Smertin signed in nick of time

Transfer triangle
Smertin's transfer from Chelsea FC to Dinamo, via Charlton Athletic FC, was complicated by the fact he was on loan at Charlton for the present English Premiership campaign. However, the paperwork was finally completed on Wednesday, with Chelsea reportedly receiving a €1.4m fee for the 30-year-old former FC Lokomotiv Moskva and FC Girondins de Bordeaux player. Smertin has signed a four-year deal with his new club.

Five reach Saturn
Meanwhile, FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast also made headlines by bringing in five players. Arriving from Slovakian side FC Artmedia and a recent UEFA Champions League challenge, were midfielder Peter Petráš and striker Branislav Obžera, along with another forward from a Slovakian club, Dukla Banská Bystrica's Martin Jakubko. Dmitri Polovinchuk (Dinamo Moskva) and Roman Nagumanov (FC Metallurg-Kuzbass Kemerovo) were the other recruits.

Lokomotiv in overdrive
Still, Saturn were nowhere near as prolific as 2005 runners-up Lokomotiv. They managed to sign eleven players, including goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic (FC Thun, Switzerland), defender Dmitri Kruglov (FC Levadia Tallinn, Estonia), and forwards Amr Zaki (ENPPI, Egypt) and Garry O'Connor (Dundee United FC, Scotland), while luring Costa Rica striker Winston Parks back from Saturn.

Kanchelskis coup
Elsewhere, Romania midfielder Florin Soava, who spent part of last term on loan at FC Krylya Sovetov Samara from FC Spartak Moskva, will continue in Samara on a temporary basis. Krylya Sovetov also acquired Russian youth international Makhach 'Gadhzi' Gadzhiev and Ghana forward Baba Adamu, the latter borrowed from FC Moskva. That duo will link up with Krylya Sovetov's big-name signing from Saturn – former Manchester United FC and Everton FC winger Andrei Kanchelskis.

Taking a chance
FC Tom Tomsk landed Ukraine Under-21 defender Andriy Proshyn from FC Khimki. FC Rubin Kazan took Georgia striker Mikheil Ashvetia on loan from Lokomotiv, while FC Torpedo Moskva brought one-time Russian youth international Denis Tumasyan from Finnish team FF Jaro.

Going nowhere
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan defender Ruslan Baltiev failed to get a move away from Moskva so has been registered by the capital club again, with Erik Lincar, Dmitri Pyatibratov and Albert Sarkisyan staying at FC Amkar Perm for a similar reason.