Every once in a while, the Russian national team unearths a gem, as is the case with the young centre-back Igor Diviev. Diviev, 22, is currently playing for CSKA Moscow in the Russian Premier League, but he is on the radar of some of Europe's top teams. At this stage of his career, he will not be a compelling transfer target, but has the potential to develop into a good centre-back at the top level. Diviev is a model of a modern centre-back who can play comfortably in the back line while also being a leader in the defence.
He is very proactive defensively, and he likes to advance into midfield and engage in one-on-one confrontations with attacking opponents rather than blindly retreating. He is also awesome in his own penalty area, having finished 10th among all players last season in the Russian Premier League. His style of playing makes people compare him to Van Dijk, which may not be fair, in part because of his height of 1.93 meters.
Diviev started his career at Ufa FC before moving to CSKA Moscow, where he is now a key player. He is now also an important member of the Russian national team, impressed at Euro 2020. Manchester United and Arsenal were linked to Diviev a few years ago and they are both likely to be looking for a new centre-back in the summer, so if Diviev continues to grow, they may be interested in him again.