A. Batrakov

Alexey Batrakov joined the Lokomotiv Moscow academy at the age of six and finished as MVP of the Youth Football League in the 2022/23 season after already winning the Division 2 title two years earlier and the YFL itself in 2023. He made his senior debut on 31 March 2024 against Krasnodar.

Across three seasons at Lokomotiv he scored 29 goals in 66 appearances, with his output climbing sharply from a single goal in his debut campaign to 14 in 2024/25 and 13 in 2025/26. That last season ended with Lokomotiv taking bronze in the Russian Premier League. Batrakov's form was recognised individually as much as collectively: he was named Best Young Footballer in 2024, then Footballer of the Year in Russia for 2025 by the weekly Futbol, and was ranked number one in the Top 33 Best Footballers in the Russian Championship in both 2024/25 and 2025/26. He also picked up the Steel Rail Award in 2025 and 2026.

His performances for Lokomotiv earned him a place in the Russia national team, where he has won 12 caps and scored four goals. In August 2026, Galatasaray signed him for a base fee of €25 million, rising to as much as €29 million with add-ons, plus a sell-on clause for his former club. He put pen to paper on a five-year contract and made his debut for Galatasaray on 30 August 2026 against Göztepe, going on to make four appearances in the Süper Lig by September.