Vladimir Mukhanov, the most decorated head coach in Aktobe’s history, has weighed in on rumours linking the club with Portuguese winger Nani and Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanić.

— Aktobe are making plenty of noise in the transfer market right now. There are rumours about bringing in veteran stars — Nani, Pjanić, Smolov, Müller… Why would the club go down this route? What’s the idea behind it, and how viable is it?

— I’d pick up on the word “shopping” you used. To me, that doesn’t really fit. Sure, you can always sign a big name — but that doesn’t guarantee anything. That’s why I’m cautious about the idea of a mass intake of stars.

Maybe the club simply wants to draw attention. Aktobe aren’t just a team that have won a lot — they’re a true people’s club. And when a new owner comes in, he wants to show immediate action. This could be part of that. But the club’s policy has to stay balanced. Yes, someone like Pjanić could become a leader and a driving force to push Aktobe forward — but it’s far from certain. That’s exactly why you have to be especially careful with your local players.

At the same time, you can’t go far relying only on your own — that’s obvious too. At one point we were just inches away from reaching the group stage in Europe — we could have got there well before Astana did. Back then we had five foreign players in the squad. Later the limit was raised to eight, then relaxed further — and that brought results. The key is to strike the right balance between foreign signings and homegrown players, so the locals can develop alongside the stars rather than be pushed aside.

ℹ️ Mukhanov led Aktobe to three Kazakhstan Premier League titles, also winning the Kazakhstan Cup and the Super Cup twice. The club was recently privatised, and major changes are underway, including a significant squad rebuild.