Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Axel Witsel is unhappy to miss out on a move away from the club, but claims he understands the Russian club choosing to block his departure.

Tottenham Hotspur wanted to snap up the Belgium international midfielder and put in a bid of €26m to Zenit yesterday. However, the Russian side refused to sell.




And to make matters worse for Witsel, who had also been linked with clubs such as AC Milan, Chelsea, Juventus and Manchester United, Zenit quickly issued a statement insisting the midfielder has a €100m release clause.

Witsel has been left disappointed, but is not cutting the figure of a man who is prepared to rock the boat in Russia.
 

 

He was quoted as saying by Belgian daily Het Laaste Nieuws: "Zenit told me I couldn't leave.

relatedNewsStory

"Even not for €70m.

"It's a pity as I hoped to leave, but I understand their decision."

Witsel now faces a wait until the winter transfer window to see if Zenit will then consider allowing him to depart, while the Belgian will also need clubs to again come forward to snap him up midway through the season.