Just two years after leaving Major League Soccer for Europe, forward Yura Movsisyan has made a big-money move to Spartak Moscow.
Movsisyan is heading to Spartak on a $9.7 million transfer from FC Krasnodar. The transfer is the second-largest ever involving a current or former MLS players. Only Jozy Altidore’s $10 million transfer to Villarreal from the New York Red Bulls was larger.
Movsisyan moved to Europe after the 2009 MLS season, helping Real Salt Lake win an MLS Cup title before moving to Danish club Randers. A successful stint in Denmark earned him a $3.2 million move to Russian side FC Krasnodar, where he enjoyed two impressive seasons, scoring 23 goals and earning the attention of Spartak Moscow.
The No. 4 pick in the 2006 MLS Draft by the Kansas City Wizards, Movsisyan spent four years in MLS, scoring 20 goals during that time.
A native of Azerbaijan, Movsisyan spent a year playing at Pasadena City College, where MLS scouts and discovered him and signed him to a Generation adidas contract. Movsisyan had aspirations of eventually playing for the U.S. Men’s national team, but was unable to secure citizenship before moving to Europe and eventually decided to play for the Armenian national team.
What do you think of this development? Surprised to see Movsisyan develop into such a force in Europe? Wish he had gained his U.S. citizenship so he could play for the U.S. National Team?
Share your thoughts below.