Traore said that Krasnodar rejected the first few offers from the London club, and Smolov himself hoped to prove himself at the World Cup and move to a more famous team.
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At this time, Smolov believed that he could receive an offer from a more eminent club from Europe," he recalled to Matchtv.
"At that time, Fed was 28 years old - the ideal age to leave at the peak of his form, but he refused - and I was offended."