Left back of “Polissya” Artem Smolyakov joins the club from MLS

The American soccer club Los Angeles, which has two world champions playing for it, has signed the defender of the Ukrainian youth national team and Zhytomyr's Polissya Artem Smolyakov. The club paid 2 million euros to the Wolves, and the contract is valid until 2028. This is reported by the press service of Los Angeles, reports UNN.

Details

Los Angeles announced today that the club has acquired Ukrainian defender Artem Smolyakov from Zhytomyr's Polissya of the Ukrainian Premier League. of the Ukrainian Premier League. Smolyakov signed a contract until 2028. He joined Los Angeles as part of the U22 Major League Soccer initiative and will hold a spot on the international roster until he receives an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and a P1 visa

Co-President and General Manager John Torrington said: “Artem is a highly skilled young defender who brings a wealth of experience to LA Galaxy at a young age. We are excited to have a player of his ability and potential join our club as we continue to compete for trophies in all competitions.

Zhytomyr's Polissya also confirmed the player's transfer to the MLS club.

Smolyakov joins Polissya on July 21, 2023. Artem had a modest and shy personality, but on the field he fought for the ball like a real wolf. His determination and dedication always inspired the team and fans. During his time at the club, Smolyakov played 43 matches, scored 2 goals and gave 1 assist. Artem was one of the players who made an important contribution to Polissia's historic entry into the European Cups. His game was notable not only for his technique, but also for the impeccable execution of team tasks, which made him an indispensable player in the

The club also wished him success in the new team and new achievements in his career and emphasized that he would always be a welcome guest at Wolves' matches.

The amount of the transfer was not disclosed, but according to the Transfermarkt portal, the player was paid 2 million euros with a transfer value of 900 thousand euros.

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Artem Smolyakov is a graduate of the academy of Dnipro Dnipropetrovs'k. In August 2020, he signed his first professional contract with Ngults. In the 2020/21 season, he played mainly for the club's youth team, but also managed to play 3 matches for the club's youth team. He also started the next season in the youth team. He made his debut for the adult team on November 22, 2021, in a 0-1 home match of the 16th round of the Ukrainian Premier League against Shakhtar Donetsk. Artem came on in the 46th minute, replacing Hennos Asmelas.

In July 2023, he signed a five-year contract with Premier League debutant Polissia Zhytomyr. This season, he played 17 games for Polissia and scored the winning goal in the match against Vorskla Poltava.

Smolyakov has also played ten games for the Ukrainian youth national team. The last time he played for it was in October last year in a 0-1 match against Serbia as part of the 2025 European Championship qualifiers.

It should be noted that Smolyakov became the 10th player to play in the United States. Until 2024, the Ukrainian national team defender Serhii Kryvtsov played for Inter Miami, owned by the legendary English footballer David Beckham and featuring Lionel Messi.

Another defender of the Ukrainian national team, Oleksandr Svatok, is currently playing for Austin FC in the MLS.

It is also worth noting that two world champions play for Los Angeles. In 2024, the team was joined by France's goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and his compatriot Olivier Giroud, who won gold medals at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Recall

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Zubkov moves from Shakhtar to Trabzonspor03.02.25, 20:30 • 27898 views

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