Spartak might enjoy lavish resources but the signing of an inexpensive Swede might bring the greatest reward

Football Writer

Tuesday 2 October 2012

RUSSIAN clubs rarely hesitate before splurging excessively in the transfer market but in Kim Kallstrom, Spartak Moscow may well have secured one of the bargains of the summer.

Aiden McGeady is not Spartak's only threat

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Graeme Macpherson

While Zenit St Petersburg shelled out a fee in the region of £65m to lure Hulk and Axel Witsel from the Portuguese league, it took just £2m to prise Kallstrom from Olympique Lyonnais. For an experienced internationalist at the peak of his career, it seems an astute piece of business.

Lyon didn't want to lose the Swede, who had been a key figure in their midfield for six seasons, but money dictated otherwise. The French club are undergoing a period of belt-tightening after overspending in recent seasons and a chance to get Kallstrom off the wage bill, as one of their higher earners, was an opportunity they couldn't afford to turn down. Rubin Kazan, who had a £5m approach for the player turned down in February, had seemed the most likely destination for the Swede but it was Spartak who made their move in late July to take Kallstrom to the Russian capital.A hip injury delayed his debut but his return in recent weeks could not have been better timed. Coach Unai Emery has lost a number of key personnel to the injury making Kallstrom an almost certain starter against Celtic this evening. The 30-year-old scored his first goal for his new club in a 3-1 Russian Premier League victory against Amkar Perm at the weekend, a result that ended Perm's year-long unbeaten run at home. Kallstrom has been perhaps a somewhat unheralded cult hero for the best part of a decade now, among French football fans as well as aficionados of the Championship Manager computer game when he emerged, appropriately, as a must-buy bargain for gamers. Rangers, during Alex McLeish's tenure, were reportedly keen to sign him when he was still a player with Stade Rennais but the move never came to pass. A year later and Kallstrom was off to Lyon, for whom he would play almost 250 times, scoring more than 20 goals, creating numerous assists, while winning two French titles, two French cups and two Champions trophies. Little wonder many Lyon fans were sad to see him go but Kallstrom was keen to embrace a new challenge. "I think this is a great move in my career because I will play for the most popular Russian club in a strong league," he said after becoming the first Swede to sign for the club. "I know that Spartak always sets itself only one aim – to win every tournament and every match. It meets my football philosophy. I hope to contribute to the Spartak winning traditions. I also have a great opportunity to [experience] a new and interesting culture and a country. I believe, after eight-and-a-half years in France, this move will be a positive experience for me and my family."Kallstrom has not played in his native Sweden since leaving Djurgardens for Rennes in 2004 but remains an immensely popular figure in his homeland. If there is some disappointment that his career trajectory has perhaps not matched the early potential – when he was seen as a greater prospect than Zlatan Ibrahimovic – then it has not lessened his appeal. He is just five games away from earning his 100th cap, with only intense competition for midfield places – most notably from Anders Svensson, the former Southampton player – under previous coach Lars Lagerback keeping him waiting for his century."He first became famous in Sweden at the age of 16 or 17 as he was considered one of the brightest young talents," said Henrik Ysten, editor of Offside, the respected Swedish football magazine. "It was obvious back then that he would go on to play for the national team and have a good career. A lot of people would have liked to have seen him go to England or Spain but at Lyon he had Champions League football most years and a really good salary, too. He is still very popular among the Swedish fans as someone who always gives everything for the national team."Kallstrom is something of a midfield curiosity in the modern era; too tall and not quick enough to be a schemer like Xavi or Andres Iniesta, and not powerful or athletic enough to be an enforcer type. Attempts by the national team to play him just in front of the defence were quickly shelved when it became apparent he lacked the discipline for such a role. He remains most potent as an attacking force, capable of playing centrally or wide on the left, while his free-kicks are a regular source of both goals and assists."He probably would have had a much better career if he had been around in the early 1990s," said Ysten. "Maybe he was born in the wrong generation. But he has a terrific eye for the game and he's very smart on the pitch. His left foot is really good and he has a strong shot. Maybe he doesn't use his strength enough as he's not that great defensively. He's very much an attacking player who is happiest in the final third of the pitch. That's where he comes to life."

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Spartak might enjoy lavish resources but the signing of an inexpensive Swede might bring the greatest reward

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