Sytchev set for Marseille move

French Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille have agreed the signing of Russian international Dmitri Sytchev from FC Spartak Moskva on a five-year contract, according to the Russian club.

Deal done
Spartak officials have confirmed that a deal has gone through for the 19-year-old, although Marseille officials would neither confirm nor deny the story. Officially, French clubs will be able to buy players during the January transfer window and Marseille's website reports that the contract with Sychev will be signed on New Year's Day.

Fee not revealed
"We have agreed all terms with Olympique, and the transfer fee is sufficient. Sytchev and his agents were happy about the personal terms", Andrei Chervichenko, Spartak's president, said. He did not reveal the exact transfer fee, although it is estimated at around €6m.

World Cup exploits
The teenage striker has barely played since the summer after walking out on Spartak, the club he joined last January. He set the Russian Premier-Liga alight in the spring, scoring nine goals to earn a place in Russia's FIFA World Cup squad. He scored once and provided assists for three other goals in Korea/Japan where he was widely considered Russia's best player.

Four-month ban
Since then, Sytchev's career has stalled, however. He was banned from football for four months after attempting to terminate his contract with Spartak after finding a loophole in Russian labour laws. The Football Union of Russia's sanction runs until 4 January.

Trained in Ukraine
Banned from playing for Spartak, he has also not been able to train with the club after a row with officials and so ended up training in Ukraine with FC Dynamo Kyiv's reserves. The move comes a day after French football's financial control body lifted transfer restrictions on Marseille.