Denis Cheryshev was a relatively unknown name before the World Cup started but an impressive outing by the Russian in his homeland has brought a lot of attention towards him. As per latest reports, the 27-year-old is being linked with a move away from Villareal and Everton are in the race to sign him. In case you are interested in making a few bets before the Premier League starts, you can take betting tips from sites like OLBG which have some fantastic odds and opportunities for fans.
Cheryshev wasn’t in the playing eleven for the first game against Saudi Arabia and only an injury to his team-mate Alan Dzagoev gave him an opportunity to play midway through the first half. He grabbed that chance with both hands as he scored the opening goal of the 2018 World Cup and managed a brace in his first game. The Russian winger kept on playing an instrumental part for his side from there onwards as the hosts reached the quarterfinals for the first time in their history. The Villareal winger ended the campaign with four goals to his name including an out of the world goal against Croatia.
Player Profile:
Full name – Denis Cheryshev
Date of birth – 26/12/1990 (age 29)
Born In – Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Height – 1.79m (5ft 10in)
Position – Left-Winger
Current Club: Villareal (90 apps/11 goals)
National team: Russia (16 caps/ 4 goals)
Brief History
Born in Russia, Cheryshev started his footballing career in Spain at the age of nine with Sporting Gijon. The fact that his father played for them helped him pick up the game early in his childhood. He spent his initial days with Sporting Gijon and Burgos CF before Real Madrid got him in their youth setup in 2002. He slowly went on to play for their B squad in the second division and was later promoted to the senior Real Madrid squad where he played just 7 games. Though, he can say that he has the distinction of scoring a goal for one of the biggest clubs in the world as his only goal came in Copa Del Rey encounter against Cadiz. He had loan spells with Sevilla, Valencia and Villareal in his four-year stint at Madrid. Certain injuries kept him out for quite a long time and he wasn’t able to win a place in the star-studded Los Blancos’ lineup. In 2016, Villareal signed him up on a permanent basis.
Player Strengths:
Cheryshev has a certain sense of urgency to his game as he always looks to drive the ball forward. He is full of running and is strong on the ball. The Russian has a vicious left foot and boasts a powerful shot and at Villareal, he often plays in a more central role so that he can get the ball in and around the penalty box. His linkup play is also top notch. The Russian doesn’t over complicate things as when he is on the ball, his only desire is to move forward. His direct style of play is suited for counter-attacking teams. On top of it, the 27-year-old is always willing to track back and do his defensive duties as well.
Player Weaknesses:
Cheryshev can be sometimes be termed as a ‘mindless beast’ as he quite often makes the wrong decision in the final third. Though he has a strong left foot, he has the tendency of taking useless long range shots which interrupts the momentum of his side. He is heavily dependent on his left foot and we hardly see him shift the ball on his right which makes him a bit predictable. While defending, his commitment is applaudable but he often lunges into unnecessary challenges for which he is often booked. The player also has a track record of getting injured and he missed a good chunk of last season due to injury.
Everton will have a decent talent at their disposal if they manage to land him but given his exploits in the World Cup, the market for him will be inflated and the Merseyside club might end up overpaying for him right now. If they manage to sign him for a lesser fee, he can be a good squad player for Marco Silva as he tries to make Everton as one of the heavyweights of English football.
