Oleynikov's move to CSKA sparks agent dispute

Former Russia forward Dmitry Bulykin said the player should not be blamed for how the deal fell apart.

"The man was heading to one club, then he left for another. It's not clear yet whether Oleynikov will play for CSKA. Everyone understands the footballer is good, but the question is whether he will help the club. As for the situation with Rubin, the player himself is not to blame, because it's the agents who negotiate. He just presented it in such a way that everyone thinks Oleynikov is a bad guy. In fact, a lot here doesn't depend on the player," Bulykin said.

Oleynikov's agent, Robert Tunyan, said there was no breach of any understanding with Rubin.

"No agreements with Rubin were broken. We were surprised that Vanya's arrival was filmed and posted — he ended up in a situation where he was presented with a done deal," Tunyan said.

Tunyan said the return to Moscow had been on the cards once before.

"Vanya could have returned there back in his first year at Akhmat, but the clubs didn't agree on a transfer fee at the time," Tunyan said. "First and foremost, Vanya wanted to fulfil a childhood dream and return to the club. As for the terms, we agreed with CSKA very quickly. The club acted professionally."

Tunyan also described a phone call from CSKA head coach Rashid Igdisamov as decisive.

"It's always nice when the coach himself takes a personal interest in you. The conversation was simple: Igdisamov asked, 'Isn't it time to come home?' Vanya replied, 'Of course,'" Tunyan said, adding that Lokomotiv had also held lengthy talks with the player's camp, while Rubin and Krasnodar had shown interest.

Agent Alexey Safonov gave a sharper account of why the Rubin deal broke down, pointing to money rather than sentiment.

" There are more questions than answers in this story. Igdisamov says he didn't know about Oleynikov's talks with Rubin. He's offended that they didn't raise his salary there," Safonov said.

Oleynikov spent the last two seasons at Krylya Sovetov, scoring 16 goals with 12 assists in 71 appearances, including seven this year, before CSKA agreed a fee of €1m for him. Shinnik Yaroslavl, one of the clubs that developed him early in his career, currently sit eighth in the First League with 14 points from nine matches.

If Safonov's version holds up, the falling-out looks less like a change of heart from the player and more like a dispute between agents and Rubin over terms — the kind of disagreement that tends to resurface whenever the two sides meet again in the transfer market.