Lokomotiv president: Pavlyuchenko’s transfer was tough, Spurs didn’t want to let him go

Lokomotiv Moscow president Olga Smorodskaya has expressed her joy at finally reaching an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur over the transfer of Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.

«Finally signing Pavlyuchenko is massive for Lokomotiv, we are very happy. The negotiations were tough – they lasted over 2.5 months. Spurs really did not want to release him. We managed to agree a deal in the last day of the transfer window,» Smorodskaya told RIA Novosti.

«He will undergo a medical at the club tomorrow, but won’t be joining the rest of the squad for a while, as they have already left for Portugal to prepare for the season.»

The fee paid by Lokomotiv for the former Spartak Moscow hitman is thought to be in the region of £8 million.