West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie cold on Anzhi Makhachkala move

West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie today played down links to the "new Chelsea" of Russian football.

Previously unknown outfit Anzhi Makhachkala have become the vanity project of another of Russia's billionaire newcomers to the global football stage in Suleiman Kerimov.

The oligarch has already made former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o the highest paid player on the planet amid a raft of other high-profile signings – and Odemwingie's name has cropped up as a potential target for the second wave of recruits now being planned by Anzhi.

The Nigeria international already has a profile in Russian football after playing for Lokomotiv and his 15 goals for the Baggies in his debut Premier League campaign has further raised his stock.

But Odemwingie, who pledged his future to the Baggies by signing a new long-term contract this summer, has given an interview to Russian TV in which he distances himself from speculation about a move to big-spending Anzhi.

He said: "I doubt that I would accept an offer from Anzhi if I was to receive one. At the moment, I like the English Premier League. In the future, we will see."

Read the full story in today's Express & Star