Zenit seal double signing deal of Hulk, Witsel

Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg announced a major double signing on Monday, with Brazilian international attacker Hulk arriving from Portuguese giants Porto and Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel signing from Benfica. Both players have signed five-year contracts. The deal for Hulk was the first to be revealed, with Zenit’s club site announcing: “Congratulations to all of our supporters, to all of our fans, Hulk joined Zenit.” No financial details of the Hulk deal were disclosed, though Russian daily Sport Express reported, referring to an unnamed Zenit club source, that Zenit would pay Porto around 40 million euros ($50.4m) in several instalments over three years. However, the player’s agent, Teodoro Fonseca, told Portuguese agency Lusa that the fee was 60 million euros. The 26-year-old, who has won three Portuguese titles and the 2011 Europa League trophy with Porto since joining from the Japanese J League in 2008, has scored five goals in his 14 international appearances. Among the clubs who declared an interest in Hulk during the close season were Champions League holders Chelsea. The Russian giants later signed Belgian international midfielder Witsel for a confirmed 40 million euros from Porto’s bitter domestic rivals Benfica. The 23-year-old had joined Benfica from Standard Liege in July 2011 for 8 million euros. While the Russian game has seen an influx of ageing foreign superstars as well as decent African and Latin American players, capturing a player of the quality of 26-year-old marksman Hulk shows a new level of ambition. Once the poor relation of the big Moscow sides, Zenit’s fortunes have been transformed by funding from state gas giant Gazprom. Signing players like Hulk show it will no longer be content only with success in the Russian league. Adding the two new stars to a squad that already includes Portuguese internationals Bruno Alves and Danny as well as Italian Domenico Criscito, Zenit will be looking to make a major impact in the Champions’ League. They should be helped by a relatively weak group with Anderlecht, Malaga and AC Milan. While Zenit were the 2008 UEFA Cup winners, no Russian or Soviet side has ever won the Champions’ League or its predecessor the European Cup. “Zenit has won the last two Russian championships but the team wants serious results in the Champions League. Until now it was going to get no further than the quarter finals,” said sports journalist and editor at the Moscow Echo Radio Station Anton Orekh. “Zenit wanted a star of global stature to compete at a European level,” he said.