Stepanov steps up to Torpedo

Three-year contract
Torpedo are understood to have paid around €200,000 for Stepanov, who has signed a three-year contract. The 24-year-old centre-back impressed Torpedo coach Sergei Petrenko during a trial at the club's training camp in Turkey. After signing the deal, he helped them keep a clean sheet in a goalless draw with Swiss side Servette FC on Thursday.

Clear objective
"The contract is signed and now my objective is to get a permanent place in the starting lineup," said Stepanov, who came close joining another Russian club, FC Zenit St. Peterburg, this time last year only for Zenit to pull out of the transfer.

Gang of four
Stepanov, capped 43 times by Estonia, is a product of the Tallinn Football School. He had been with Flora since 1997 and has played 149 top-flight games, scoring seven goals. He is the fourth Estonian in the Russian Premier Division, joining Oper, SC Rotor Volgograd goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko and young striker Tarmo Kink, who is at FC Spartak Moskva.