Sport Express journalist Mikhail Goncharov believes a reason Spartak Moscow winger Quincy Promes didn’t head to the Premier League in the last window is because of his performances in this season’s Champions League.
The Dutchman was linked with a move to Southampton last month, but the Saints weren’t prepared to meet his buy out clause.
Goncharov says Promes has been unable to replicate his domestic form in Europe, which he thinks the the reason why the interested clubs weren’t prepared to pay Spartak Moscow’s asking price.
The Russian side were thrashed 7-0 by Liverpool in the Champions League in December, and it seems because of this game clubs like Southampton weren’t prepared to go high enough with their offers.
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Last month we covered reports from Russia that Southampton were not prepared to meet Promes’ €30m release clause.
However, there were claims the Netherlands international was entitled to 15% of the transfer fee, so to get an agreement with Spartak Moscow, Southampton would have had to pay closer to €35m.
Goncharov’s slant is an understandable one, with Promes not showing his best form in Europe, paying €30m+ would have been an even bigger gamble. In Promes’ defence, the Dutchman did score twice and get two assists in a match against Sevilla in October, although he failed to add to that in five other European appearances.
