Kazan’s Rubin has failed to complete the transfer of defender Mehdi Dorval. The parties cite different reasons, but one thing is clear—the player will not join the Kazan team. Here’s why it happened.

Dorval Heads to Italy

News of Dorval’s potential transfer to Rubin first emerged on July 23—exactly two weeks ago. Reports indicated that the Algerian defender had already bid farewell to his club, Bari, before traveling to Russia. The transfer fee was rumored to be between €2.5-3 million.

Since then, no official updates have come from either club. However, Dorval was spotted attending at least two Rubin matches—against Orenburg in the Russian Cup and Sochi in the league. He was seen in the VIP section both times, fueling speculation that his signing was imminent.

But on August 5, reports surfaced that the deal had collapsed. Allegedly, Rubin failed to provide bank guarantees, forcing the player to return to Italy. The Kazan club confirmed they had agreed terms with Bari but could not reach a personal agreement with Dorval.

Notably, Rubin recently signed Marvin Chun from Italy without any banking issues, suggesting the problem likely stemmed from Dorval’s personal demands.

Other Missed Targets

Rubin was also linked with Zaragoza forward Samed Bazdar. Sources claimed they offered €3-5 million for the player, along with a €500,000 annual salary (excluding bonuses). However, no agreement was reached.

Spanish media reported Rubin’s interest in former Valladolid right-back Luis Pérez, who is currently a free agent. Levante and Beşiktaş were also reportedly interested, but Pérez is unlikely to move to Kazan.

Additionally, Rubin pursued Real Sociedad forward Jon Olasagasti, but he joined Levante instead. Rumors also linked them to Santos midfielder Vinicius Zanocelo, but nothing materialized.

Rubin’s Summer Signings

So far, Rubin’s only summer signing has been center-back Denil Maldonado from Romania’s Universitatea Craiova for €1.6 million. However, he has yet to debut in any of Rubin’s four matches.

Defender Uroš Drezgić and wingers Daniil Kuznetsov and Aleksandr Lomovitskiy returned from loan spells, but the first two are recovering from injuries, while Lomovitskiy is out of favor.

Meanwhile, Rubin has been active in outbound transfers. Center-back Rustam Ashurmatov was sold to Iran’s Esteghlal for €500,000, while forward Marvin Chun joined Sampdoria on loan with a €2 million buy option. Midfielder Valentin Vada left as a free agent after rejecting a new contract, and forward Kasra Taheri was loaned to Iran’s Paykan.

Urgent Reinforcements Needed

Rubin still needs a full-back, central midfielder, and forward, with just over a month left in the transfer window (closing September 11).

Historically, last-minute signings—like Chun and Veljko Hodža in 2024 or Nikola Čumić, Drezgić, Lazar Ranđelović, Egor Shamov, and Vada in 2023—have struggled to make an impact. Only Čumić remains in the squad, and even he is inconsistent.

Rubin must act quickly to secure new players and ensure they adapt in time. Delaying further will only shrink their options.