Baltika's transfer policy is currently squeezed into a rather tight frame. The club has outgrown the stage where it could sign average players simply for squad depth, but it still can't compete financially with the top clubs for ready-made stars.

The whole market for Baltika essentially splits into three parts — and each has its own problem.

The first — the top clubs. Taking a first-team regular from there is unrealistic: the wages are high, so are the price tags, and the players themselves don't see Baltika as an obvious step up. So only special cases remain: a player who has settled firmly on the bench, fallen out of the coach's plans, come back from a loan or is about to become a free agent. An example of that logic is Arsen Adamov.

The second part — mid-table. In theory you can look for ready-made RPL players there, but it isn't that simple. If a footballer is genuinely good, he either costs more than Baltika's comfortable budget or clubs from the top five are already interested in him. Outbidding them is almost impossible.

The third option — the strugglers. On paper it's the most convenient market: the players are cheaper, the clubs weaker, the motivation to leave higher. But there's a trap here too. If someone in a weak team genuinely stands out, richer clubs notice him quickly. And there's simply no point taking those who play badly — they won't strengthen Baltika.

So Baltika needs to look not for obvious names but for market distortions: players with expiring contracts, footballers without a role at strong clubs, undervalued Russians, cheap foreigners before the hype kicks in, and those whose statistics are better than their reputation.

The bottom line is simple: the success of the summer window will depend not only on money, but on speed and precision. You need to spot the right player before everyone else, offer him a clear role and not overpay for a surname.

Houssem Mrezigue — Dynamo Makhachkala

Position: holding midfielder / box-to-box Age: 26 Passport: Algeria Price: around €1.1m FotMob rating: 7.25

Mrezigue is a quiet monster. Not the flashiest player to watch, but in terms of workload he's one of the best options on the market. 25 RPL matches, 2,241 minutes, the second-highest playing time at his club, and only 2 yellow cards all season — for a holding midfielder that's near-perfect discipline.

His main value is reliability. He wins the ball back, holds up under pressure, wins his duels and is constantly in the thick of things. 37 fouls suffered is another important figure: opponents are regularly forced to stop him through contact.

There's one minus — finishing. 37 shots and just 1 goal. But Baltika wouldn't need him for goals; it would need him as the player who stabilises the centre of the pitch.

Verdict for the card: Mrezigue is the ideal option if Baltika needs a holding midfielder with volume, discipline and readiness to play straight away.

Jordhy Thompson — Orenburg

Position: winger / attacking midfielder Age: 21 Passport: Chile Price: around €0.98m FotMob rating: 7.10

Thompson is the most interesting attacking player on the list. He's only 21, but he's already delivering 5 goals and 5 assists in the RPL. For comparison: many wingers at that price haven't even become regular starters by 21.

At Orenburg he was one of the main attacking threats all season. Small stature, sharpness, technique, frequent dribbling, good crosses — this is the profile of a player who's especially useful to a team with quick attacks and width.

For Baltika this isn't just reinforcement, it's an asset. If he keeps growing, in a couple of years his value could be entirely different.

Verdict for the card: Thompson is the best upside in attack. Young, productive, inexpensive and already adapted to the RPL.

Marat Bokoev — Akron

Position: centre-back Age: 24 Passport: Russia Price: formally around €1.3m, but Akron wants more than €2m FotMob rating: 6.84

Bokoev is the most contradictory item on the list. On one hand, by the numbers he's the best Russian centre-back in the bottom half of the table: 29 matches, almost always starting, huge defensive volume, strong in the air, a threat from set pieces and only 2 turnovers.

On the other hand, he's no longer a secret. Krasnodar, Spartak and PAOK are watching him. Akron wants more than 2 million euros, and that already goes beyond Baltika's comfortable budget. Then again, it seems the sale of Andrade for big money is already there.

Only one logic is possible here: monitor the market until the end of June. If the top clubs don't agree terms, the foreign interest doesn't materialise and the price sags — you can move in. But building a plan around Bokoev is risky.

Verdict for the card: Bokoev is the best Russian CB in the bottom six, but a deal is only possible if the market around him cools down.

Emirhan Gürlük — Orenburg

Position: striker / left forward Age: 22 Passport: Turkey Price: contract expires at the end of June FotMob rating: 7.00

Gürlük is an interesting forward not only because of his goals. He has a rare combination: physique, dribbling, fight and discipline. 114 duels won with zero cards is a very telling figure. He can play the contact game without turning it into chaos.

42 shots, 4 goals, 1 assist, good dribbling — the profile not of a pure penalty-box striker but of a player who can work as a second/left forward, hold on to the ball, press defenders and carry episodes on his own.

If he really can be picked up almost as a free agent or for small money, he's one of the most interesting attacking options. If the rumour about Galatasaray's interest in him is true, there'll be no competing here either.

Verdict for the card: Gürlük is a physically strong forward with astonishing discipline. A good option if Baltika needs a striker not only for finishing, but for the fight as well.

Benchimol — Akron

Position: striker / right forward Age: 24 Passport: Cape Verde Price: around €0.95m FotMob rating: 6.74

Benchimol is a peculiar player. You can't judge him by his 6 goals alone, because half of that output is tied to penalties. 4 penalties won is, on the one hand, a weapon in itself. He knows how to get into the box, put himself in the way, provoke contact.

But without the penalties the picture is more modest: 3 goals from open play. Plus weak pass accuracy — 59.2%. That means he can drop out of combination play.

For Baltika he's interesting only as a specialist for the box, not as an all-round forward who will improve the attack by himself.

Verdict for the card: Benchimol is a penalty hunter, a player of space. Useful in specific situations, but takes up a foreign-player slot.

Aleksei Mironov — Rostov

Position: central midfielder / box-to-box Age: 26 Passport: Russia Price: around €1.3m FotMob rating: 7.24

Mironov is the main Russian option in central midfield. By rating he's almost level with Mrezigue, yet he doesn't take up a foreign-player slot. That's a huge plus.

His profile is very rare: 46 shots, 4.48 xA, 37 chances created, 106 accurate long passes, a good dribbling percentage and a normal volume of duels. In other words, he isn't just a "worker" midfielder but a player who can move the attack forward.

The minus — 6 yellow cards and a contract with Rostov until 2027. The deal won't be easy, but on quality he's one of the best options for Baltika. There were rumours about Krasnodar's interest in him; if true, there's nothing to fish for here =)

Verdict for the card: Mironov is the most undervalued Russian on the list. A ready-made box-to-box who'll add passing, shooting and progression to Baltika.

Arsen Adamov — Zenit

Position: right-back / wide player Age: 26 Passport: Russia Status: free agent in the summer Transfer fee: €0

Adamov isn't a story about this season's statistics. At Zenit he barely played, so his numbers right now are weak: few matches, a rating around 6.40. But that's exactly what creates the market window.

A Russian player from a top club, 26 years old, a free agent, no transfer fee — for Baltika that's a rare opportunity. Especially if the right side of the defence needs filling, or a player is needed for a system with an active flank.

The main question is wages and role. After Zenit the demands may be high, and for Baltika it's important not just to take a name, but to understand where he'll play.

Verdict for the card: Adamov is the first-phone-call priority. A free agent with a Russian passport and top-club experience — you can't ignore that kind of market.

Yuri Koledin — Pari NN

Position: left-back / wide defender Age: 21 Passport: Russia Price: around €0.58m FotMob rating: 6.84

Koledin isn't a loud transfer but a neat, inexpensive option. The cheapest Russian on the list, 21 years old, a normal volume of minutes, good discipline: just 1 yellow and 0 reds.

The main plus is defensive activity: 52 tackles, 108 defensive actions, 21 interceptions. For a young wide defender from a weak team that's a working profile.

The risk — aerial duels. 9 aerials won at 30% is a weak figure. So he's better viewed not as a ready-made starting defender but as competition/rotation for the flank.

Verdict for the card: Koledin is an inexpensive Russian wide defender. Good for depth and competition, but not as a guaranteed starter.

Mohamed Azzi — Dynamo Makhachkala

Position: right-back / right midfielder Age: 24 Passport: Algeria Price: around €1m FotMob rating: 6.98

Azzi is one of the most versatile players on the list. He played right-back, but by profile he can also work further up the flank. 24 matches, 1,887 minutes, a large volume of duels, 46 tackles, 30 interceptions — this is no passenger.

The main plus is the price. For that money it's hard to find a foreigner with that volume at that age. But there are two risks: discipline and Dynamo Makhachkala's status. 4 yellows and 1 red is no small thing. Plus you need to see whether the club stays in the RPL and how that affects the price.

Verdict for the card: Azzi is a flank all-rounder. Interesting as a right-back/right midfielder, but the foreign-player slot and the discipline call for caution.

On the big extended list: Sergei Babkin, Kirill Stolbov, Yevgeny Bolotov, Danila Prokhin, Andrei Langovich, Du Queiroz, Daniil Zorin and Yaroslav Mikhailov.